A Shade of Orange
by Pink Lightspeed Ranger
Summary: The demons were taking over Mariner Bay. Can nine rangers stop them? Dana and Ryan's younger sister joins them as the Orange Ranger. Carter's brother joins them as the Purple Ranger. A Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue story. OC/Dana, OC/Carter. This will be a rewrite of my actual story. It will be include Liveangel16's OC
1. A New Beginning

A Shade of Orange

A New Beginning

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Co-Written by Livangel16

Disclaims: Power Rangers belong to Saban. Lucretzia and Sensei Kurahara belong to Livangel16. I only own Jane for now.

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><p>The summer Jane Mitchell turned eighteen was one of the most exciting and action-packed summers of her entire teenage life. It was the summer she was chosen by her father, Captain Mitchell, to become a Lightspeed Power Ranger in the battle against the demons.<p>

The day it all began started out ordinary enough. Well, ordinary enough for a city like Mariner Bay. Jane was kicked back on her bed in the room she shared with her older sister, Dana, in the Aquabase reading a book called "How to Make the Good Grades in High School". It was a military-styled base that was located underwater because, as everyone working at Lightspeed knew, the demons were weakened by water. This high-tech, underwater powerhouse was commanded by none other than Captain William Mitchell, her father and Dana's.

Jane was in the middle of her book when Dana entered their shared room wearing a light-blue, short-sleeved shirt tucked into a knee-length, dark-blue skirt. Jane looked up and smiled at her blond-haired sister who also worked as a paramedic when she wasn't busy at the Aquabase or helping Jane with her own paramedic training.

"Jane. What are you doing?" Dana asked.

"Read this book. You should know how much of a bookworm your younger sister is by now, Dana," she replied, earning a chuckle from Dana. Then, her face grew serious and almost…angry as she looked at her sister.

"Jane. We need to talk," she told her.

"What's up? Have the demons returned to Mariner Bay or something?" Jane said jokingly, closing her book and sitting up. Once Jane saw her sister's shocked face, her jaw dropped and she knew she'd hit the nail on the head.

"How did you know about that?" Dana inquired, looking at her sister. "Did you learn that in school?"

"Well…my English teacher wanted us to write a five-paragraph essay about supernatural beings before school ended, and I chose the demons," Jane answered. "It's kinda been on my mind a lot."

"You did a lot of research I hope?"

"If I hadn't, would I have gotten an A+ on the paper?" Jane replied, pulling the paper out of the drawer next to her bed and waving it like a victory flag. Dana smiled a little before her face became serious again. "I think we should tell Dad about this."

"Now," Dana seconded. Leaping off the bed, Jane straightened up her uniform (their father was a real stickler on propriety and order) which was identical to her older sister's and set out to find their father. The naval captain was in the middle of a meeting with the top scientists at Lightspeed. Jane was hesitant about disrupting what was obviously an important meeting, but Dana simply walked right in, stood at ease and cleared her throat.

"Captain. Something's come up," she informed him. It was an unwritten rule at Lightspeed that when Jane and her older sister were in public, they were to address their father as Captain. When they were in private, he was Dad to the both of them.

"We'll finish this later," the Captain told them curtly, taking in the serious looks on the faces of both his daughters. The scientists gathered their notes, and with a few curious glances in the direction of the sisters, left the conference room. Jane then stepped forward and mirrored her sister's position at ease.

"Father. It's the demons. They've escaped," Jane informed her seriously.

"You're sure?" he asked, looking hard at the two girls. They both nodded. Without another word, Captain Mitchell rose and unlocked the safe which sat behind him and then pulled out a handful of folders. "Then it's time to bring them in." He flipped open a file with green stripes on the sides to reveal a picture of a guy called Joel Rawlings, the famous air show pilot who carried the nickname The Sky Cowboy.

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><p>The Mitchell sisters soon found themselves sitting in the back of a black limousine. Although Jane would've said something about the benefits of working for the government, she was fidgety and nervous. It was at times like these that she envied her calm, cool, collected sister who was gazing out the window as if this was something she did every day. The two, male government agents who were accompanying them were escorting a not-very-jubilant looking Joel Rawlings away from a group of screaming fans. Soon, he was inside with the two girls.<p>

"Man! They got you girls too?" Joel asked.

"My sister and I work for the government," Dana replied. The Sky Cowboy looked nothing less than shocked.

"Really? Guess that explains the uniforms," Joel thought aloud. "Are you a navy chick?" Jane could barely keep from rolling her eyes.

"Like my sister said, she and I work for the government. So, she's not a navy chick, and neither am I," Jane answered for her sister. Joel didn't seem to ask Jane anything about herself which gladdened the seventeen year old as much as it annoyed her. At least she wouldn't have to explain that she was a teenager who didn't know what was going on.

The next stop was to the middle of a barren desert. Jane wondered what in the world they were doing out there, but then she saw that Joel's folder was no longer on top, and that a yellow one lay open in her sister's lap. Peering over Dana's shoulder, Jane saw a picture of a dark-haired girl named Kelsey Winslow who was an extreme sports athlete. Then, through the tinted window of the limousine, Jane saw Kelsey's head and shoulders appear over the side of the cliff. The two government agents were there waiting for her (and probably spooked her half to death) and she soon joined them in the limo.

"Whoa. More people in here," Kelsey said, dropping in to the seat next to Joel. She was sweaty and breathing hard from her climb. "Who are you guys?" she asked Jane and Dana. It must've been the uniforms that made them stick out.

"My sister and I work for the government," Dana told Kelsey. Even though Jane knew that government projects were all about secrecy and stuff, Dana didn't have to keep repeating the same line over and over again. She took after their father: military to the core.

"So, where are we going?" Kelsey inquired, buckling her seatbelt.

"To the water park," Jane replied, glancing at the blue folder that Dana now held. "But before you ask me why, I don't know, to be perfectly honest." It wasn't that she was as hard-core military as her sister, but it was that she honestly didn't know what was going on. But one thing reassured her: Dad would explain to them-and her-what was going on.

The limo pulled up just as Chad Lee, the next candidate, did an amazing dive off of a dolphin's nose as it leapt out of the water. Jane had seen him before in shows and had to admit that he was a fantastic marine animal trainer in addition to being a lifeguard. He was still dripping wet when the two men in black brought him over. But they did let him grab a towel first. Jane guessed that the government liked keeping their limos dry.

"Hey! I know you two!" Chad said to Dana and Jane as he scrubbed his short, dark hair. "Dana and Jane Mitchell."

"How did you know?" Jane asked, startled.

"I saw you with your dad at the junior high school graduation last year. You were taking pictures with your classmates," Chad answered. Feeling awkward at having someone know her and how young she was, Jane quickly looked to Dana.

"Who do we have left in the list?" Jane asked her older sister.

"Carter Grayson." Dana said. Someone else Jane recognized. Carter Grayson worked at a local firefighter department, and he was a courageous, if reckless, fireman.

The limo drove further into town, to a burning building surrounded by fire trucks. Jane winced at the sirens. Dana opened to the door and climbed out of the car. Her younger sister was about to follow her, but she stopped her.

"Dana, let me come with you," Jane said, glancing at the burning building.

"No. It's too dangerous for you," Dana said. "You don't have a license yet. I'll be back soon."

"Two minutes," Jane said.

Dana went out and found the Fire Captain. The teenage girl resisted the urge to turn around and look out the back window of the limo, feeling the three candidates watching her. Then, with an explosion of glass, a firefighter carrying a little girl leaped out of a window. The others caught him on their trampoline, and Dana rushed over to help the child.

Jane recognized the fireman as he pulled off his helmet and face mask: Carter. He and Dana spoke for a little while, and then he started taking off his firefighting gear. Jane watched as they came over, Dana with that little spring in her step that meant she'd accomplished her mission.

"Where are we going?" Carter asked Dana, as they climbed into the car.

"You'll see soon." Dana said, as the engine rumbled to life. Jane and her sister exchanged a smile: it was always fun to watch someone's first reaction to seeing the Aquabase. It was then that Jane noticed a white folder under Carter's. Jane wanted to say something to her sister, but Dana turned and shot her sister a _don't-worry-about-it_ look.

Finally, they reached the helicopter's landing pad, and everyone piled into the little craft. Soon the six were over the ocean, and coming to the submarine for the last leg of the trip. Carter began to grin.

"Don't tell me, we're going in that submarine." Carter shouted over the sound of the helicopter, pointing to the sub. Kelsey leaped out of her seat and leaned out to see.

"Excellent!" Kelsey exclaimed, eyes lighting up. Chad looked interested as well, but Joel was still sour.

Nobody, though, could stay grumpy as they got their first look at the Aquabase. Jane grinned at the candidates' awed faces, as they took in the four cylindrical outer buildings, the pods, and the tubes linking everything together. A bay door opened on one of the pods, and the sub entered.

"Civilian crew and authorized personnel have entered Lightspeed Aquabase. Security clearances checked and confirmed," one of the scientists said over the loudspeakers, as the six entered Rescue Ops. The candidates looked around at the scientists working on various computers or going by on errands.

"Where are we?" Chad asked quietly.

"I don't know, but it's cool, huh?" Kelsey said. Jane smiled. She liked Kelsey already. Then an alarm started going off, and everyone jumped. Joel was standing by a computer panel, looking very guilty. Dana strode over, and gave him The Look. She turned off the buttons without a word, grabbed Joel's collar, and led him to the meeting room. The others, including Jane, followed.

Their father was already standing inside as Dana and Jane arrived along with the four candidates arrived.

"Welcome to the Lightspeed Aquabase." He said. Joel pushed Carter out of the way.

"I don't know who you are, but this is illegal. This is kidnapping," Joel said.

"I am Captain William Mitchell. And none of you will be held against your will, you're free to go," their dad replied, cool as always.

"See ya!" Joel said, turning to go, but a black-uniformed man stepped in his way, holding up one hand to stop Joel.

"That is, after you hear me out. Please, have a seat," Captain Mitchell said. The four candidates sat at the meeting table. Dana and Jane waited at ease for further orders. Their dad stepped in front of the candidates.

"Five thousand years ago, this part of the Earth was inhabited by evil spirits. Demons if you will, whose only purpose was to destroy and conquer. Luckily, there was a warlock, who was strong enough to conquer them. Finally, the demons were captured and entombed." My dad turned around as he spoke. "But we always feared that one day, they would escape and would return to Mariner Bay. Well, it seems our fears have come true. Just hours ago, nomad travelers crossing through the desert discovered the tomb and released the demons back into our world."

Captain Mitchell started pacing. "Lightspeed has developed technology and highly sophisticated weapons that we believe can stop them." He passed Dana the folders, and she opened them to show each candidate their own.

"Because of your skills, you have been chosen to use these weapons to defend the city. To become Lightspeed Power Rangers," he finished.

"So, you built this whole Aquabase thing, so the four of us could come together and fight off a bunch of angry demons?" Kelsey asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, that's putting it simply, but...yes," their father said. Jane couldn't help but smile.

"I heard you out, I think you're nuts, I'm outta here." Joel said, getting up. Just then, a blue vortex appeared in the room close to the table. Everyone except Captain Mitchell stared in shock as a young woman about nineteen years old walked out of the vortex carrying an injured man on her shoulders. There was a long, black case in her hand. Jane's eyes immediately fell on the unopened white folder that lay close to her father. Could this be the mysterious fifth candidate they hadn't found?

"Captain Mitchell?" she asked Jane and Dana's father. She was African-American with her dark hair tied back in a ponytail and brown eyes. She was wearing karate-styled pants with some sort of robe over them.

"Yes?" Captain Mitchell.

"My name is Lucretzia Solomon, and this is my sensei: Sensei Kurahara. We need your help." Just then, the injured man gave a groan of pain.

"Officer!" Captain Mitchell called to the black-uniformed man who'd stopped Joel earlier. "Take this man to the infirmary on the double!" The man gently removed Sensei Kurahara from Lucretzia's shoulders and carried him off to the infirmary. Jane looked at Lucretzia and saw her face marred with worry. She felt bad for the girl.

"OK! You're all officially crazy! See ya!" Joel said. As he walked out, Carter turned towards him.

"Wait!" He said, and Joel stopped. "That explains it," He continued, partly to himself.

"What?" Dana asked.

"The fire. When I was saving the little girl, I…I saw someone, in the flames. It was one of them. One of the demons." Carter said emphatically.

"And two of them attacked the ninja academy I was studying at," Lucretzia added. Dana turned sharply to Captain Mitchell.

"Father," Dana and Jane said at the same time. Then something beeped. Dana, Jane and their father went to the computer screen at the back of the room, and Dana handed Captain Mitchell his earpiece.

"Mitchell here," he said.

"You need to see this sir," one of the scientists said.

"Bring it up on the monitor." He did, and the seven people all watched as a view of the city appeared. Wispy demons zoomed through the sky, blasting buildings and terrorizing the people. Jane glanced over at the candidates, who were all staring with a mixture of horror and anger.

"The city needs you," Captain Mitchell said to the five civilians. Carter rose.

"I'm in, sir," he said.

"Me too," Kelsey added, standing as well. Chad followed their lead.

"I want to help," Chad said. All three looked to Joel.

"What do we do first?" Joel said at last.

Captain Mitchell stepped over the large silver case sitting on the table, and Dana and Jane followed. He unlatched it and swung it around to show the contents to the new team. There were seven silvery, oblong objects inside, all with the Lightspeed Rescue sigil on them.

"These are your Rescue Morphers," their dad said. Kelsey was the first to step forward and take one, the others coming a second later. "They are worn on your wrist." Peeling apart the Velcro, the four civilians put on the morphers.

Dana glanced down at the case, and saw the three morphers still waiting there.

"Seven?" Dana asked their father.

"You are the fifth," he said.

"Me?" Dana asked Captain Mitchell. He held up a pink-labeled folder, and opened it to show Dana a photo of herself.

"For eighteen years I have been training you for this. It's yours, if you want it," he said. Dana nodded, and put the morpher on her wrist. She joined the others on the far side of the table. Jane looked down at the two, remaining morphers, her heart racing.

"Jane, it's your choice." Her dad said to her. Jane bit her lip.

"But I-I don't know if I can be a Power Ranger," Jane said. "I'm just a kid."

"Jane, you saw the screen," Dana said to her younger sister. "And I know you can do it." The other Rangers and Lucretzia nodded, Kelsey the most emphatically. Jane looked at each of them and her dad in the eye, and took a deep breath.

"I'm in," she said, grabbing the sixth morpher. It was cool against her skin, and she stepped next to Dana, who gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze. She grinned nervously at the rest of the team, who all smiled back.

"Lucretzia," Captain Mitchell said, looking down at the last morpher.

"Me?" the young woman asked in shock. "No! I…I can't be a Power Ranger! I…I don't know how! I…!"

"We're all new to this, Lucretzia," Jane said. "And you wouldn't have been chosen by my father if he didn't think you could do this." The other Rangers nodded as Lucretzia stared at the last morpher.

"Sensei Kurahara has been training you for this very purpose, Lucretzia," Captain Mitchell told her. Hesitating for a moment longer, Lucretzia reached in and took the last morpher up, strapping it to her left wrist before joining the six in line beside Jane, who gave an encouraging smile and mouthed _Jane_ to her.

"Okay, Rangers, time to get to work," Captain Mitchell said. The seven left with Dana leading the way.

"These are your jackets. Grab one," Dana said, as they came around a corner to where the jackets hung in a row. Jane knew the drill. Her jacket's arm patch was orange with a white number 6. Coming around another bend, the Rangers reached a wide yellow jeep, which Jane recognized as the Rescue Rover.

The others were impressed, running their hands along it as they all piled in. Carter and Dana sat in the front, him driving, Chad and Jane in the middle, and Joel, Lucretzia and Kelsey in the back.

"All set," the technician working nearby said, giving us a thumbs-up, which Dana returned. The ramp underneath the Rescue Rover began to drop, revealing a tube that led all the way to the mainland.

The trip was thankfully short. The team came out near the edge of the water, and drove in the opposite direction of the fleeing civilians. Soon, they reached the scene of the attack. Carter screeched around the corners and came to a stop. Joel got up to see better, and all of them stared.

A red, fiery-looking monster stood there, laughing. Dozens of black-clad humanoid creatures, all making ear-piercing screeches, were attacking the screaming civilians. Jane's hands became very cold as she watched. She recognized the monster immediately as Ghouligan, and the creatures were obviously Batlings, the demons' footsoldiers.

"Come on, let's go help those people," Carter said.

"Right," they all replied, climbing out of the Rescue Rover.

Joel grabbed a Batling, dragged him away from the civilians and punched him in the gut. At the stairs, Kelsey was getting kicked around by the Batlings, but yelled for the nearby people to run. Chad was doing the best, jumping between some Batlings and civilians and sending the civilians away. Lucretzia was trying to use some martial arts moves on two Batlings while getting civilians to safety. Jane finally reached the fight, seizing a Batling by the arm as it struck at a man and dragging it back.

Carter was driving the Rescue Rover straight at Ghouligan. The monster threw fireballs at him, and one sent the car skidding to the side. Before Carter could do anything, Ghouligan threw him out of the Rescue Rover and into a light pole. He wasn't the only one in trouble.

Jane saw Joel take a hit and double over, Kelsey thrown into a stair railing, Dana in the grip of several Batlings, Lucretzia being thrown hard to the ground and Chad struck in the face. Then a Batling foot slammed into her side, and she lost her balance and fell down.

"They're too strong for us," Carter said into his communicator, wincing in pain.

"Rangers, use your morphers," Captain Mitchell said. Everyone heard and nodded.

Standing up, the seven strode towards Ghouligan, ignoring their new bruises.

"Hey, you, with the hot temper! If you want to destroy Mariner Bay, then you'll have to go through us first," Carter shouted at the monster. They formed a line in Ghouligan's path.

"Gladly!" Ghouligan replied, as the Batlings came to his side.

"Ready?" Carter said, raising his morpher. Jane and the others nodded their heads, doing as he did.

"Lightspeed Rescue!" All of them shouted, crossing their wrists in front of them and grasping their morphers. They popped them open, and time seemed to slow down.

Jane was suddenly in what looked like a dark tunnel. She threw her arms out, and a wide orange-and-white shield appeared in front of her. It passed over her, the colors covering her body and forming a Ranger suit. Her silver face guard formed, and then her diamond-shaped visor covered it. And it—felt—_incredible_.

They all somersaulted over the monster's head, landing on their knees.

"What? Power Rangers?" Ghouligan cried.

"All right!" Carter said. They whirled around and clenched their fists as one. The remaining civilians saw them and began to cheer.

"Wow, it works!" Chad exclaimed, looking at his blue-clad arm.

"It's incredible," Kelsey, the newest Yellow Ranger, cried.

"Cool!" Lucretzia breathed, looking at her White Ranger suit.

"This is just what we needed. Let's get to work, guys." Carter, the Red Ranger (of course), said.

"Hi-ya!" Dana said, crossing her forearms and striking a fighting pose. Jane had always thought she looked good in pink. The others all followed suit—as she'd guessed, she was orange, and Joel was green.

"Batlings, get them!" Ghouligan yelled. With the new power pumping through her body, Jane didn't feel afraid of him anymore.

"Power Rangers, Rescue Ready!" All seven of them shouted, saluting and dropping into fighting stances. They met the Batlings halfway, and in this fight, they mopped the street with them. Of course, the Rescue Blasters now holstered on their hips helped. Red lasers took out Batling after Batling, with a shower of sparks following each hit. Dana discovered that the Blasters had a baton mode, and quickly crossed swords with the Batlings.

"Hey, over here!" Carter shouted to Ghouligan.

"You're toast!" The demon shouted, throwing another fireball at Carter, but the Red Ranger ducked. The Batlings were gone. Chad, Dana and Jane somersaulted to Carter's side, firing at Ghouligan at once. The demon fell into a heap of debris.

As Joel, Lucretzia and Kelsey joined them, guns at the ready, the monster sat up with a moan. The seven Power Rangers raised their guns—Dana and Chad doing it lefty style—and Ghouligan regained his feet.

"Ready! Aim!" Carter shouted.

"You ain't got the guts!" Ghouligan taunted.

"Fire!" Carter shouted. The seven Rangers shot at the demon, swinging around and twirling their guns as he exploded. The city was safe again. For now.

"Lightspeed, Power down!" they shouted, their morphs fading in a flash. Everyone staggered a little, tired from the fight.

The civilians, some of whom had gathered to watch the fight, mobbed them. Everyone was shouting and cheering. Jane grinned like an idiot, but luckily, she wasn't the only one.

* * *

><p>Back at the Aquabase, the technicians and scientists were just as happy as the civilians. The seven Power Rangers moved incredibly slowly to HQ, as various people came to shake their hands, clap or even just look at the newest team of Power Rangers. Only Joel was completely at ease, walking backwards and talking to his captive audience. Finally, though, they reached Rescue Ops, and the noise died down as Captain Mitchell stepped forward.<p>

"Sure no problem, I'll show you the moves," Joel said, his voice standing out with the chatter gone. Dana and Jane had already stopped, and he backed right into them. He turned and stood at attention with the rest of the team.

"There is the time to celebrate," Captain Mitchell said, "But this is not it. You see, now Diabolico knows that you exist. You think this fight was tough? Just wait."

"Sir, we just destroyed Diabolico. Didn't we?" Kelsey piped up.

"No, that was just one of his monsters," Dana and Jane's dad said, to everyone's dismay.

"It was Ghouligan," Jane said, and froze as she felt everyone's eyes on her. "I-I've been studying the demons," she said, and looked down at her feet.

"If you want to defeat him, then you've got a lot of work to do. We all do," Captain Mitchell said.

Dana and Jane snapped to attention and saluted. The technicians and military personnel followed, and after a second, so did Carter, Chad, Kelsey, Lucretzia and Joel.

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><p>Please Review. This is a rewrite using Third-Person<p>


	2. Lightspeed Teamwork

A Shade of Orange

Lightspeed Teamwork

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Co-Written by Liveangel16

Disclaims: Power Rangers belong to Saban. Lucretzia and Sensei Kurahara belong to Livangel16. I only own Jane and Austin.

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><p>Jane was in the park playing soccer with her old school friends. It'd been ages since she'd seen them since their families had moved in every direction after graduation. Eric Truman had called her up to tell her that everyone was back in town and to suggest that they get together for a game. Jane was so excited that she even put on her old soccer uniform.<p>

"So, you're a Power Ranger now, huh Jane?" Christelle said, her question sounding more like a fact than a question as she kicked the ball in Jane's direction. Jane stopped it with her foot.

"Yeah. It's fun," Jane replied, passing the ball to another one of her friends. "Well…except for the demon attacks. By the way…has anyone heard from Patrick yet?" Everyone shook their heads. Patrick was their former team captain and goalkeeper, until he'd joined the Terra Venture expedition and gone up into space a year ago. The last transmission from the space colony was that they were crashing on a moon on the outskirts of Jupiter.

Jane checked her watch and almost fainted. Her father's important Ranger meeting was happening right now! _Oh shoot!_ she thought to herself. _Dad's gonna kill me!_

"I've got to go, guys. Ranger meeting. See you later!" Jane said, grabbing her bag and breaking into a run. Her friends yelled their goodbyes, and she waved over her shoulder as she raced away back to the Aquabase.

Jane had never wished so hard in all her life that she'd gotten her driver's license. The taxi was agonizingly slow, and she almost forgot to tip the driver before she sped down the tunnel. Her lungs burned and her side ached as she ran, but imagining her father's face when she arrived there was the momentum that kept her running.

Inside the Aquabase, she managed not to run into anybody (thankfully) as she charged down the hall. She glimpsed Joel wandering down another corridor, but her mind was too panicked to realize what that might mean. She staggered to a halt. Dana, Carter, Lucretzia, Kelsey and Chad all looked hard at her, and her father's face was stony.

"Jane, where were you? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago," Captain Mitchell said sternly. Jane stood at attention, still breathless, and saluted.

"Sorry, sir," she apologized. "My old classmates were in town for the week, and I lost track of time. It won't happen again." Her father shook his head and sighed.

"Jane. I know you've missed your old friends and want to spend as much time with them as possible. But you also need to remember that you're a Ranger now. You have a responsibility to the people of Mariner Bay to keep this city safe. And this had better not happen again," he answered sternly. He turned away and began pacing, waiting for Joel. Grateful that he wasn't going to lecture her any more, Jane collapsed into a chair by the wall.

"I didn't know you played soccer, Jane," Chad said, glancing at her soccer uniform. She hadn't had the time to slip into her quarters and change.

"She was the ace striker on her old team," Dana informed Chad. He nodded, his facial expression saying, "I don't know what that means, but it sounds impressive." Jane had to smile. Her father had perfected the same look for years whenever she talked about her old team.

"Did you see Joel anywhere?" Kelsey asked Jane. She began to shake her head no, but then she remembered with a start.

"I saw him goofing around on my way in," she answered. Dana and Lucretzia both rolled their eyes. Dana held up her communicator to her face.

"Joel, you're late again. You're supposed to be here with us at this meeting. Hurry up!" Dana told him sternly.

"On my way, Green Ranger…Green Ranger out," Joel responded.

"Oh boy!" Lucretzia groaned. "Something tells me this is not gonna end well!"

"I know what you mean," Carter seconded. Everyone waited. No Joel. With a sigh, Captain Mitchell turned back to the six Rangers.

"We will proceed without Joel," he said, and led them up the stairs. "This is the weapon lab," he gestured around the room. Technicians in white lab coats and goggles moved here and there. The Rangers halted by a gout of flame, and jumped as a man blasted it down with a Rescue Blaster. Apparently the guns had a fire extinguisher setting. "Everything you use to defeat the demons is designed, built and tested, right here." They stopped by a pool next, and a man in a wetsuit popped up. Dad only paused for a moment and then went on past them. They followed.

"I want you to meet the genius behind everything, from your Rescue morphers to your new Zords. Rangers, this is Miss Fairweather." Captain Mitchell stopped in front of a dark-haired, bespectacled woman with a clipboard. She had a very businesslike look about her, but she smiled at them.

"Thank you, Captain. Welcome to Lightspeed. Diabolico will stop at nothing to destroy the city. My job is to make sure that you are one step ahead of him and his monsters. Vincent?" Miss Fairweather said. Her assistant pushed a couple of buttons, and an image appeared on the screen above it. Miss Fairweather walked over to it. "Which is why we've developed this," she said. All six Rangers came closer.

"These are your Rail Rescues." Miss Fairweather said proudly. Everyone stared.

"Trains?" Kelsey asked.

"Much more than trains, I assure you," Miss Fairweather replied with a smile. Turning, she pushed a few buttons, and brought a rotating model of a fire truck-like Zord on the monitor. "They contain your Lightspeed Rescue Zords. Carter Grayson, yours is Pyro Rescue 1, based on a fire truck. It has telescoping ladder arms." She pushed a second button, revealing what looked like a giant water tanker. The images switched as she explained each Zord. "Chad Lee, Aqua Rescue 2 sprays water jets powerful enough to down a monster, but not to destroy a burning building. Mr. Rawlings is absent, I see. He will pilot Aero Rescue 3, controlling compressed air jets and a variety of grappling hooks and magnets, which will be used to assemble your Megazord. Kelsey Winslow, Haz Rescue 4's grab-claw can either lift objects or be used in combat. Dana Mitchell, your Zord is Med Rescue 5, which is primarily intended to contain civilian vehicles to clear the roadway in case of an emergency. Jane Mitchell, Copter Rescue 6 has abilities similar to Aero Rescue 3, but its blades can separate and be used as projectiles, as well as forming a shield addition to the Megazord. Lucretzia Solomon, Land Rescue 7 is a military jeep with lasers, missile launchers, water guns, extendable claws that can remove debris as well as a retractable steel cable to help vehicles hanging precariously over edges."

Everyone was speechless. Miss Fairweather then brought up a digital model of the Megazord assembly. The seven Zords folded, unfolded and pulled themselves together into a titanic, humanoid robot before their very eyes. This Ranger business was getting better and better all the time!

Then the alarm began to go off. Jane was already starting to hate that sound. _Don't demons ever take a vacation? _she thought bitterly to herself. Oh well. At least they'd be able to drive the new Zords.

"Mitchell here. What's going on?" Jane and Dana's father asked, as a technician passed him his headpiece.

"A molten rock has just hit the city. It's onscreen now, sir," a man replied. The six rangers went to a ceiling-mounted monitor, and looked at the red-streaked black rock as the camera went past it.

"An asteroid?" Carter asked.

"I don't think so," Jane replied, shaking her head.

"I'm betting on something a lot worse, Carter," Lucretzia added.

"It's transforming," Miss Fairweather said. The asteroid split open and exploded, and an orange-glowing, massive demon emerged. As he cooled down, he became black with an orange-glowing face on his chest.

"That's Magmavore," Jane said, pointing. The others all looked at her. "H-he was in one of my books," she said. Captain Mitchell turned to his six Rangers.

"It's time to put the Rail Rescues to work," he said.

"Yes, sir," Carter replied.

"The Rail Rescues? I don't know if I'm ready," Chad said, with a worried frown.

"Don't worry. None of us are," Kelsey said to him.

"Trust me, Chad. This wasn't in my training with Sensei Kurahara," Lucretzia reassured him.

"I can't even drive a car yet," Jane added. Carter, Kelsey and Chad looked at her in disbelief, and she fidgeted uncomfortably.

"They're programmed to assist you automatically; you'll be fine," Miss Fairweather said smoothly, putting one hand on Chad's shoulder and the other on Jane's. _Thank you, Miss Fairweather._

"Come on, let's go!" Carter said, and everyone started to the Zords.

"You can't drive?" Kelsey asked Jane incredulously, as they went down the hall. Jane shrugged, feeling her ears turn pink.

"I've been too busy studying schoolwork," she replied. "Never had the time to practice for my license." The six Rangers stepped into place on a platform like the one the Rescue Rover sat on, and waited.

"Where's Joel?" Kelsey asked.

"No idea," Carter said.

"Probably goofing off again," Jane said with an eyeroll. Joel's no-show had gone from a relief to annoying to holding up the mission. She hoped her father gave him a good, long lecture when we got back.

"Wait for me!" Joel shouted, charging in, clutching a bouquet of roses in his left hand. Everyone stared hard at him, as he sheepishly stepped into line.

"I'm not even gonna **ask** what you were doing," Lucretzia muttered, arms folded across her chest.

"We're ready." Carter said to the technician. The floor began to drop.

"Lightspeed Rescue!" they shouted, morphing.

The trip down only took a few seconds, and the seven Rangers were in the Zord bay. The trains were enormous, and like everything else, color-coded. Everyone ran to the engine-red, naturally-and leaped into their seats.

"Amazing! All systems online, Captain!" Carter said.

"Train bay to surface," Captain Mitchell replied. Jane could hear the smile in his voice. This must've been a huge accomplishment for him. She heard the doors overhead swing open, and the inrush of water made the bay tremble a little. The floor shuddered as they began moving up.

They surfaced at last, along with the tracks linking the Base to the mainland. The hatch in front of them swung up, and Jane blinked at the bright sunshine outside. All of the other doors swung upwards, revealing the other six Rail Rescues.

"Rail Rescue on track," Carter said. "Here goes," he continued, and pushed a lever. The Rail Rescues-all of them-began to move. The tracks ahead all gradually converged into one, and the trains linked up one by one as they moved forward.

"Incredible!" Carter exclaimed.

"What power!" Chad said.

"Awesome," Joel added. Picking up speed, the Rail Rescues zoomed onto the newly-cleared highway.

"Mad cool!" Lucretzia shouted.

Magmavore was destroying every building in reach, and there were many. Lava exploded out of his asteroid, adding to the chaos. The Rail Rescues arrived on the scene.

"There it is," Kelsey said, pointing to the demon.

"He's firing!" Dana added. Magmavore shot waves of magma out of his chest as they drew closer. Soon the seven Rangers were surrounded by burning buildings. Jane could see people below, running in a blind panic away from the streams of hot red-hot magma.

"Then let's do some firing of our own!" Lucretzia said, punching her fist into her hand as Magmavore destroyed more of the city.

"We have to stop him," Jane said, clenching her fists.

"We will," Carter said. "We've arrived, Captain." Carter said, as they pulled to a halt near the asteroid.

"Each ranger to their own Rail Rescue," Captain Mitchell ordered.

"Yes, sir," Carter said. "Let's do it, guys," he said as they started climbing out of their seats. Jane's Rail Rescue was almost all the way in the back, and she could hear each of her fellow Rangers with the exception of her Rail Rescue as they arrived, and their Rail Rescues opened to let their Zords out.

"Pyro Rescue One," Carter said, starting his engine.

"Aqua Rescue Two." Chad said, following the Red Ranger.

"Aero Rescue Three." Joel said. His Rescue Zord came out of the roof of the Rail Rescue. "I can't wait to try some stunts in this puppy!"

"Joel, stay focused," Captain Mitchell warned.

"Got it, Captain," Joel replied.

"Haz Rescue Four."

"Med Rescue Five." Jane slid into her own cockpit.

"Copter Rescue Six," she said as her Zord lifted off the Rail Rescue.

"Land Rescue Seven," Lucretzia said as her military jeep rolled out. As they all went towards the monster, Jane heard something over the radio in her helmet. It sounded like a voice.

"Carter, I heard something." Jane said.

"So did I," Dana added.

"Somebody help us! Please, we stuck inside the building!" a woman screamed over their radios.

"I'm picking up signal from inside that building," Carter said to Captain Mitchell.

"There are people trapped in that elevator," Jane and Dana's father replied.

"Let's go and get them guys!" Carter said.

"I'm with you," Chad replied.

"Me too," Lucretzia seconded.

"Right!" Joel chimed in. The seven Rescue Zords changed course towards the building. It swayed as they came, another fireball ripping through one of the floors. As they drew closer, the Rangers discovered that the asteroid's spurts of lava had covered the ground in a wide circle around the monster.

"The building is surrounded by lava. We can't get to it," Chad said.

"And my readings are showing that the lava's weakening the structure fast," Lucretzia added, looking at her readings on her dashboard. "Which means we've gotta move fast."

"We've got to cool that lava into rock. Joel, you think you can get in there?" Carter asked.

"Are you kidding me? With this thing I can go anywhere." Joel replied confidently.

"I'm going with you." Jane said to Joel.

"No problem," Joel replied. Then Captain Mitchell cut in.

"Joel, Jane, hold on. You two have got to work together," he said.

"I'm sure we have enough power to do it ourselves," Joel protested.

"Negative," Jane and Dana's dad replied.

"Says who?" Joel asked.

"Says the expert who designed it, who is standing right behind me! You have to combine your rescue vehicles."

"We can do it alone. But if it makes you happy, we'll do your way." Joel said. "Jane, you want to do this your dad's way?" he asked her.

"Now and always," Jane said firmly. If her father said they couldn't do it, they couldn't.

"Lowering magnet hooks now." Joel said, as he did so. They clanged into place on either side of Aqua Rescue 2, and began pulling it up. The cab tilted forward as the body of the truck went vertical.

"Alright, thanks for the lift, Joel," Chad said.

"Follow me." Dana said to Kelsey.

"You got it." Kelsey replied. The Haz and Med Rescues flipped upright, the reverse of Aqua Rescue, and Joel lowered Aqua Rescue 2 onto the two Zords.

"Okay guys, you take it from here." Joel said to Dana, Kelsey, and Chad, flying away.

"Lucretzia. We're gonna need your help, too," Chad told her.

"Ready and able, Chad," she replied.

"Water cannons, extinguish," Chad said. Water sprayed out of the cannons, and the half-formed Megazord walked forward slowly, with Land Rescue 7 still away from the lava helping to spray a path all the way through.

"That did it," Dana said, as the lava darkened and cooled. She and Kelsey had gone into Pyro Rescue 1 as their Zords combined.

"We have a safe path," Kelsey said.

"Excellent, guys. We're moving in," Carter said. He drove Pyro Rescue 1 between the other Zord's legs. "Stabilizer. Lightspeed Ladder arms, now." Carter said. The back half of his Zord swung forward and unfolded into the ladder arms, which stopped at the building. Carter, Dana and Kelsey were standing on Pyro Rescue 1's hand.

"I'm with you guys," Jane said, dropping the ladder from Copter Rescue 6 and climbing down.

"All right, but stay focused," Carter said. "Ladder punch, now." The Zord's left fist slammed through the wall and continued upwards. "All right, let's go," Carter said, and the right arm moved into the dark building.

Inside the burning building, they looked around for signs of life. A chunk of the ceiling fell in and startled them.

"We don't have much time. We'd better split up," Carter said to the three girls.

"Right!" they replied, and they all went in different directions. Jane heard coughing, and through a grate, saw the elevator with the three people inside. They were a woman and two little kids, and they were all lying on the floor.

"Guys, I found them!" she shouted into her communicator. Ripping the grate off, Jane climbed into the elevator shaft and slid down a cable. Flames licked at the bottom of the elevator. She kicked the emergency escape hatch open and dropped inside.

"Can you hear me? Wake up, please!" Jane shouted, shaking each of the people in turn. They were unconscious. No way were they getting out the way she came in. Jane went to the doors, but they were stuck.

"Need help in elevator three!" she said to Carter. Then a cable snapped, and they all dropped a short way down the shaft.

"On my way, Jane." Carter replied. Jane waited tensely for a few minutes. Sweat rolled down her face under her helmet. Then she heard Carter try the doors, but he couldn't open them either.

"Carter, the building is about to fall down. We have to get out of here," Dana said.

"First we have to get them out," Carter said. They tried to open the doors. Something else exploded outside, making the elevator shake.

"Jane, how did you get in? I think I can follow you," Kelsey called.

"We may not have time," Dana protested.

"Then we'll have to make time. We've got to get them out," Carter said. "Aquabase, we're going to need some help."

"Rescue Red, we have a new weapon online. Call in the Rescue Bird." Captain Mitchell said over the communicator.

"Carter, hurry," Jane said.

"Rescue Bird!" Carter shouted. Jane couldn't see what happened, but she heard Carter's exclamation. "Awesome! Rescue Drill, power up!" She could hear the drill. "That did it," Carter said, and began trying to force the doors open. They finally gave, and he darted inside.

"Come; let's get you out of here." Carter said, as they began pulling the family to their feet. "Hold on, I got you."

"Carter, move it, the monster's back!" Joel's voice came over the communicator.

"We're almost out, Joel." Carter replied. They all stepped out onto the hand again, Dana and Jane carrying the two children. They were lowered to the ground.

"He's getting too close," Carter said as the four Rangers touched down. Jane could see the monster coming towards them. "Dana, get them somewhere safe."

"Right," Dana replied, and the three girls ran. The kid was starting to get heavy, and Kelsey took him out of Jane's arms.

Carter ran back into the Pyro Rescue Zord, and its arms retracted. The Pyro Rescue moved back, but the monster smashed the building down on top of it, and it stopped.

"Carter!" Chad yelled. The monster advanced.

"Joel, Jane, you're on." Jane's dad said.

"You got it, father," Jane said, running back to Copter Rescue 6. But Joel interrupted.

"Captain, I have another better idea. What I can do is-"

"_Just obey the orders!_" Miss Fairweather yelled into Jane's dad's earpiece.

"Do it, Joel," she added.

"Okay okay, chill out, you guys." His magnet hooks grabbed Pyro Rescue 1.

"What?" Carter asked.

"Gotcha!" Joel said.

"Joel, great, but hurry." Carter said. Joel's Zord lifted Carter's to safety. Magmavore took a swipe at it, but missed.

"Lucretzia. Land Rescue 7 has lasers, remember? I think it's time you gave them a field test," Ms. Fairweather said.

"You got it!" Lucretzia exclaimed. Then, she aimed her guns at Magmavore. "Eat lasers, Magma-Breath!" Then, she fired, sending Magmavore stumbling back.

"Thanks, Luca. We owe ya," Carter said.

"Nothing to it, really," Luca replied.

"Carter, cut for Megazord mode." Captain Mitchell said.

"At once, sir." Carter said. "Okay Rangers, Megazord mode. Lightspeed!"

"Lightspeed!" they all chorused. Carter's Zord unfolded, becoming the chest and arms of the Megazord. The monster started firing at us as Joel lowered Pyro Rescue 1 onto the rest of the Megazord, and Aero Rescue 3 wobbled.

"Whoa!" Joel shouted. "What's up with that? Don't play with fire unless you want to get burned." He peppered Magmavore with lasers, and the monster fell back. The head came up out of Aero Rescue 3, and it dropped onto the Megazord's shoulders. Copter Rescue 6 split in half down the middle and attached to the Megazord's right arm, wide sections on the shoulder and elbow. Land Rescue 7 split into three different parts: two covered the Megazord's legs while the other covered the other elbow.

"We are locked. Ready?" Carter said.

"Ready to take him down." Joel said.

"More than ready," Jane added.

"Let's get him." Chad finished. The Megazord took its first, slow steps. The monster fired at them again, surrounding the Rangers with fire.

"He's hitting us hard, but not hard enough. You're going down," Carter shouted. "Power Thrust online." The Megazord raised its fists. "Power Thrust now." Arms stretching and retracting, the Megazord pummeled Magmavore with its fists.

"Came here through the air, let's send it back the same way," Jane suggested to Carter. She was so full of adrenaline that her hands shook, and she was too pumped to feel shy.

"I like the way you think, Jane," Lucretzia said. Jane smiled, pleased that she had earned the respect of the secretive yet surprisingly talkative Ranger.

"Great idea, Jane." Carter said. "Hope you enjoy your flight!" Picking up the monster, they spun him around. Then they tossed him aside, and he exploded in a blinding fireball.

"Now that is an air show!" Joel said with a whoop.

"Great work, Carter!" Chad said.

"No, great work all of us," Carter replied.

* * *

><p>At the Aquabase, everyone swaggered down the hall, feeling pretty pleased with themselves. Joel had his flowers again.<p>

"The only way to defeat the demons is to work together. Like today," Carter said.

"I know you're right. I'm going to focus. No more goofing around," Joel said seriously. He handed the flowers to Chad.

"That's the spirit," Carter said, clapping Joel on the shoulder.

"Alright!" Kelsey, Dana, Lucretzia and Jane said at the same time, and cracked up at the unintentional chorus.

"Between the seven of us, there aren't any problems that we can't handle together. I'm so glad you finally got it!" Carter said, but Joel's attention had disappeared at the word "problems." He started walking away down the hall. "Joel?" Carter asked, turning. Jane stared: Joel was heading straight for Miss Fairweather. Then he turned, grabbed the flowers from Chad, and raced over to her.

"Miss Fairweather!" Joel exclaimed.

"Hello, Joel." Miss Fairweather said, turning towards him.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, hiding the flowers behind his back. The rest of the Rangers shook their heads or sighed quietly: when would he ever learn?

"Boys," Lucretzia sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Where did Joel even get flowers?" Kelsey asked.

"I think that was why he didn't attend the meeting," Jane replied. "He went to the flower shop instead."

"Again I say: boys," Lucretzia repeated.

"Let's follow them." Kelsey said. Carter, Dana, Lucretzia and Chad agreed, and they all started down the hall. Jane paused: her old soccer teammates were probably still waiting for her.

"Are you coming with us?" Chad asked Jane. Before she answered, her cell phone rang.

"One second," she said, putting the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Jane? Where are you?" Jane's jaw dropped.

"Patrick?" she exclaimed. "Is it really you? What happened-did you guys land okay-how'd you get here?"

"Slow down, Jane! Yes, it's me. I'll tell you all about it when you get back to the park. What's taking you so long?"

"Didn't the guys tell you? I'm a Ranger now! I don't think I can make it back there right now, though," she said, with a glance at her bewildered teammates.

"Well, see you soon, I hope. Good luck with your battles," Patrick said.

"Thanks. See you soon!" Jane turned off the cell.

"What was that?" Carter asked her.

"Patrick Corbett, an old friend of mine who was on Terra Venture. Up until right now, I thought he was lost or killed in the crash," she said quickly. "He didn't tell me anything but that he was at the park. But enough about that. Let's check on Miss Fairweather and Joel." And the six Rangers went after their teammate and the brilliant scientist.

Joel and Miss Fairweather were talking on the other side of the glass wall. Miss Fairweather had the flowers, and an autographed picture of Joel. Dana stopped them from going in, and they watched from where they stood. They couldn't hear very well. Miss Fairweather turned towards them, setting the flowers and poster down on a desk.

"So, how did the top secret mission go?" She asked.

"Oh, fine. Until some expert tell me how to fly." Joel replied. Miss Fairweather paused.

"An expert?" Miss Fairweather asked Joel. Jane saw her expression change, and bit back a giggle.

"Some dilitron designer tried to tell me how much power my Zord has. Like I need help from a computer geek," Joel replied.

"Oh no he didn't," Kelsey hissed, grinning.

"Oh yes he did," Lucretzia whispered back, silently cracking up. Everyone else was following suit. Miss Fairweather turned back to Joel. Even though her back was to them, they could hear each word she said perfectly clearly.

"Fine. The next time the sky cowboy wants to overload his engines and explode, this dilitron computer geek will just _let it_!" Miss Fairweather ended in a shout, crushing the flowers into Joel's chest. Joel's face was classic. She stormed out, and Joel finally saw them as they laughed, doing little downward spirals with their hands complete with crashing airplane noises. Joel stormed over to the six other Rangers.

"She designed…" Joel began.

"Everything," Carter and Jane said together. They looked at Dana, who leaned forward to show off her morpher.

"From our morphers…" she began.

"To our Zords," Lucretzia finished. Sadly, Joel leaned on Chad's shoulder, and the Blue Ranger patted his back comfortingly. Everyone laughed. Just then, Captain Mitchell came over the communicator.

"Lucretzia. Could you come to my office?" Captain Mitchell ordered. Lucretzia looked up and seeing the confused looks on the others' faces left. Jane watched the Ranger go and could only hope that she wasn't about to be given bad news. After all, a bunch of demons wanting to destroy a city to rebuild their ancient palace and rule the world was enough bad news to last five lifetimes.

* * *

><p>Please review<p>


	3. Trial by Fire

A Shade of Orange

Trial By Fire

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Co-Written by Livangel16

Disclaims: Power Rangers belong to Saban. Lucretzia and Sensei Kurahara belong to Livangel16. I only own Jane for now.

* * *

><p>The seven Power Rangers were packing their bags, getting ready to go to training. The guys were already done and were waiting in the other half of the room for the four girls.<p>

"So what did your family say?" Dana asked Kelsey.

"'What are you, crazy?'" Kelsey said, zipping up her bag. "Everyone's said that to me, since I was a kid. I always answer 'You have no idea.' I mean, it's such a rush hanging a thousand feet up off a cliff." Kelsey replied, sitting down next to Joel and Chad.

"I always wanted to learn ninjitsu since I was a kid," Lucretzia told them as she leaned against the door close to Carter. "I mean, I hadn't even seen a Jackie Chan movie or anything, but all I wanted to do was be able to fight like the older students. I even challenged one of the seniors to fight me."

"Whoa! So, what happened?" Chad asked curiously.

"He beat me so badly that I couldn't move for a week!" Lucretzia chuckled. "Now, **that** is crazy!" Everyone laughed alongside the White Ranger.

"Check this out: when I was eight, all I wanted more than anything was just to fly like a bird," Joel said, getting up. "So I built me a set of wings, and jumped out of my second floor window." Everyone cracked up.

"Well that's not just crazy," Carter said, picking up Joel's hat as he rose. "That's stupid," he said, shoving it on the Green Ranger's head. Everyone laughed some more, and then the seven friends started out for the Rescue Rover which they'd be taking to the training grounds.

"Well, uh, how about you, Carter? Do you always be a fireman?" Jane asked, as they went down the hallway. Dana gave her younger sister an encouraging look. She'd been constantly urging Jane to break out of her shell of shyness and talk to the other Rangers more.

"No, not really. Until one night, when I, uh..." Carter trailed off. Everyone kept walking, watching Carter, but he looked lost in thought.

"When what?" Chad asked at last.

"Uh, nothing." Carter said, with a very fake laugh.

"Nothing?" Dana asked. Everyone else looked interested. Jane was just confused.

"Tell us!" Kelsey urged. Everyone joined in, urging Carter to spill the beans, when Captain Mitchell's voice came over the loudspeakers.

"Rangers, to the training area, double time," he said. Carter smiled in relief and charged off. Frustrated, the other six Rangers followed him to the Rescue Rover.

The training area was an a small, now-abandoned section of the city that Dana and Jane's father had taken over, though all he'd really done was clean it up and make sure the still-standing buildings were safe. The seven Rangers pulled over behind a couple of scientists seated at their equipment, and turned to face Captain Mitchell.

"Attention!" Carter said, and everyone stood straight and saluted. Captain Mitchell pulled a stopwatch out of his pocket.

"Ready…go!" Captain Mitchell shouted, hitting the button, and the seven ran. Jane saw Chad and Joel leap over the concrete wall between them and head for the obstacle course. Her and Dana's father followed them, timer at the ready.

Dana, Kelsey, Lucretzia and Jane darted to the old house on the corner, Jane's sister and Jane with their medical kits in tow. They already knew their positions. Kelsey ran in the open front door with Lucretzia, and Jane scooted around to the back. The window had already been smashed in an earlier training session, so Jane scooted through the opening and ran in. Kelsey and Lucretzia's target was a baby doll on the second floor. Jane and Dana's target was a "trapped" mannequin in the basement.

The two sisters quickly found the dummy, and began checking him for spinal injuries. According to this drill, he didn't have any, so Jane began CPR. She could hear Kelsey's and Lucretzia's footsteps pattering around upstairs as Dana pulled the beams off the dummy's legs. Grasping hands, the two Rangers lifted the dummy between them and carried him outside. Jane glimpsed Kelsey and Luca sliding down from the balcony as she and Dana set him down, and Dana went to help the baby doll.

Jane's fingers were slick with sweat as she wound bandages around the dummy's left leg, tying it to a splint. She finished splinting her mannequin's legs as Dana got the baby doll breathing again, and all four of the girls lined up in front of Captain Mitchell. There were scientists filming and taking notes right behind him.

"Done," the four friends said at once. Captain Mitchell clicked the button, and checked their time.

"Two minutes. Not bad," he said, and went to check on Carter. Dana, Luca and Kelsey high fived, but Jane just bent over, hands on her knees, and panted.

"I need a rest," she gasped.

"We could watch Carter finish his training," Dana suggested.

"Good idea," Lucretzia agreed. "I could use some entertainment after having to do that!"

"Alright," Jane said. The four girls over to the building where Carter was training, meeting Joel and Chad halfway there.

The Red Ranger's training was more like a funhouse game than a rescue mission. He had to shoot pop-up figures of demons with a paintball gun. Everyone was outside the building behind Captain Mitchell as Carter finally ran out.

"Done." Carter said, with a salute.

"Fifty-two seconds," Captain Mitchell announced. Jaws dropped all over the training ground. Everyone was surprised and started cheering and clapping wearily. Carter ran over to his friends. Kelsey tossed him a towel and jumped into his arms, and he spun her around in a circle. Dad went inside to check out Carter's work.

"Best time so far," Carter said. Then Jane saw Captain Mitchell come outside, and her smile faded as she saw the look on his face. He wasn't happy. Jane chanced a glance at Lucretzia who'd just finished hugging Carter. She looked back at the Orange Ranger, and Jane saw the same worried look on her face that Jane herself was wearing.

"Carter!" Jane and Dana's father said. Carter turned, and Captain Mitchell gestured for him to come. The rest of the Rangers piled into the Rescue Rover, but they could hear them talking by the doorway.

"Yes sir?" Carter said, saluting.

"You may have the fastest time, but you have the lowest score," Captain Mitchell said. Carter's smile faded, and he frowned in confusion.

"The lowest? I don't understand."

"You have to take time to use this," Captain Mitchell pointed to Carter's head, "before you ever use a blaster."

"But sir, I hit every target," Carter protested.

"Which means nothing. You didn't think the situation through. Sometimes the obvious choice is the wrong choice." Captain Mitchell said. He turned around and addressed the rest of the team. "Okay, break down the gear and let's get back to the Aquabase." The others obeyed.

"Carter, is everything all right?" Dana asked Carter, as he arrived.

"Nothing." Carter said, not looking at her.

* * *

><p>Everyone felt the earthquake, even underwater in the Aquabase. Before any of them could ask what was going on, the alarms began to sound.<p>

"Rangers to transport bay," Captain Mitchell's voice came over the loudspeakers. Everyone grabbed their jackets and ran, slowing only when they got to the Rescue Rover.

"Ready to roll, guys?" Chad asked.

"Always, but when I am going to drive this thing?" Joel asked, hopping into the Rover. All of them climbed in—Kelsey, Lucretzia and Joel in the back, Chad and Jane in the middle, Dana shotgun and Carter driving. The platform below the Rescue Rover dropped, and the seven Rangers zoomed down the tunnel to the mainland.

They arrived at another warehouse, where a band of Batlings were pounding spikes into the ground in its basement. A female demon watched them from the top of the stairs, but she was too far away for Jane to recognize. The seven friends quickly morphed.

"Faster! I'll destroy Mariner Bay with an earthquake," the demon said.

"Not if we can help it!" Carter retorted, as they leaped into the basement.

"Well, well, it isn't the Power Rangers. I am Vypra. I'm glad that we met, so I can destroy you," Vypra purred. The Batlings drew their swords, and she ordered them to attack.

Everyone charged. Chad did a lot of kicking and spinning to keep the Batlings at arm's length. Gun in hand, Dana alternately punched and shot the footsoldiers away. Kelsey found a couple of hanging ropes, and did a series of acrobatic spins and flips with them to fight the Batlings. Whooping, Joel cartwheeled off a crate and blasted the footsoldiers.

"Don't mess with the cowboy!" He cried, pretending to blow smoke off his Rescue Blaster. Jane leapfrogged over one Batling, shooting the one behind it. Carter and Luca were battling Vypra. He managed to kick her sword out of her grip, allowing for Lucretzia to get a good solid kick in. The demon went at it with her fists for a few seconds. Then she turned tail and ran, grabbing her sword on the way out.

Just then, a Batling seized Carter from behind, and he was quickly engaged in fighting off a handful of the footsoldiers. He told Lucretzia to go after Vypra. Jane ran after Lucretzia, coming out just in time to see Vyrpa start attacking the civilians outside.

"Out of my way!" she yelled, raising her sword and blasting blue lasers at them. Lucretzia and Jane leaped in front of her, switching their Rescue Blasters to baton mode.

"I don't think so," Jane said, swinging the weapon.

"Oh no you don't!" Vypra shouted, and charged. Jane struck at Vypra first, blades clanging. Lucretzia then attempted to jump in and get a quick hit in, but neither Ranger was able to get a hit in. Jane could see the civilians running away out of the corner of her eye, until only a few—nine?—were left. Then Vypra struck Luca with her sword, twisted Jane's sword out of her grip, and kicked the Orange Ranger into a car.

Later on, Jane thought she'd dented the door hitting it, and the sparks blinded her. Her side burned, and she crumpled, demorphing. Broken glass tinkled into the car. As soon as she caught her breath, she screamed in pain.

"Are you okay?" A woman, who clutched a boy by the hand, asked Jane nervously.

"Yeah," she gasped, struggling to her feet. Then her knees buckled, and Jane fell down again with a moan.

"Mom!" the boy cried, pointing to Vypra. The demon was advancing on them, laughing.

"Wake up, please!" the mother begged, tugging Jane's arm, but her vision was going grey at the edges. Something hot and wet was running down her side from the place where she'd hit the window. It felt as though it was on fire.

Jane's communicator went off, and she could hear her father's voice, but couldn't answer. She put her hand to her side, and it came away bloody. Pushing the mother and son behind her, Jane glared up at the smirking demon, setting her teeth.

"Goodbye, Orange Ranger," Vypra said, raising her sword over Jane.

"Kiyahh!" Lucretzia yelled, striking Vypra hard. The demon fell and then got up, snarling at being interrupted. Lucretzia was standing in between Jane and the civilians. "I won't let you hurt these people, Vypra! Or my friends!"

"Well, well, well," Vypra chuckled, advancing once again. "If it isn't the little Guardian! Where's the sword, little Solomon? I know you have it!"

Jane wondered for a moment what Vypra was talking about before she gasped. She'd seen it in the books she'd read about the demons. Lucretzia didn't back off an inch.

"The sword stays with me, Vypra! You and your little playmates can't have it!" she snarled, charging at the demon. The two of them fought fiercely before Vypra breathed a bluish light at her, hitting Lucretzia and causing her to fall to the ground.

"That's enough." Carter shouted. He somersaulted over her head and landed, arms outstretched, between Vypra and the small group which consisted of his two Ranger friends, the mother and the small boy. Vypra started swinging her sword at him, and they exchanged blows for a little while. Jane took a second to breathe, and doubled over, gasping in pain.

"Jane! Are you alright?" Luca asked in worry.

"I'll be fine," Jane groaned.

Then, twirling out of Carter's reach, Vypra blasted another ray of blue light at Carter. The Red Ranger actually kicked it away, hitting the wall and shaking the whole building. Chunks of concrete and brick began raining down. Carter leveled his Rescue Blaster at Vypra.

"Put down your weapon, nice and easy," he said. "I said put it down, Vypra!" The demon backed into the wall. Jane was having trouble seeing, but she thought she saw a crafty look crossed her face. "I'm not going to tell you again!" Carter said.

"Take this." Vypra said to Carter. She fired at the floor, and it burst into flames. Carter backed away, and Vypra turned into a blue ribbon of light and vanished.

Then Jane heard an ominous cracking noise, and looked up. The ceiling was splitting down the middle, right above her, Luca and the civilians. Carter saw it too.

"Jane! Luca! The ceiling's coming down. There are people in trouble. They need my help," he said, Jane guessed to Captain Mitchell.

"No, put out the fire first," Captain Mitchell said to Carter. Jane tried to get up, but moving sent fresh stabs of pain through her side.

"Negative, sir, there is no time. I've gotta help them!" Carter retorted.

"Just do it!" Captain Mitchell ordered.

"Okay, I'll do it." Carter said, switching his Rescue Blaster mode. The fire was quickly smothered, but just as Carter finished, the ceiling began to give way. The family screamed, too scared to run.

"Out of the way!" Carter yelled, charging towards them.

With the last ounce of her strength, Jane threw herself on top of the kid as the ceiling fell in. Just then, she felt someone else fall on top of her. The chunks of rock slammed into her, the boy and her savior, and everything went fuzzy. Lying on her side, Jane could see the boy's toy airplane lying nearby, smashed. Carter was shouting in dismay.

"Say something, honey! Rangers, get up!" the mother begged. Dana and Joel ran to them.

"Sis, are you okay?" Dana asked Jane, as Joel pulled an unconscious Lucretzia off of her and pulled Jane off of the boy.

"I'm okay," she gasped, and doubled over in agony as her new wounds all throbbed.

"Or not," Dana said. Jane went limp, feeling her older sister catch her as she fainted away.

* * *

><p>Jane woke up in a hospital bed. Her injuries still hurt, but they were duller and didn't make her entire body ache. Dana, Chad, Joel and Kelsey were there, and they all looked relieved when she opened her eyes. The door opened, and Carter walked in.<p>

"How's Jane doing?" Carter asked Dana.

"She's fine," Dana replied, with a smile of relief.

"Ask me, why don't you?" Jane asked, with a little smile. Then the doctor, a little man in glasses, came back in and began checking her injuries. Most of them were bruises, but there was a gash the length of her hand along her ribs.

"Nothing that plenty of rest can't cure. With luck, you'll be out and about again in an hour at least," the doctor said to her.

"Thank you, Doctor." Dana said. The doctor nodded and left.

"Where…where's Luca?" Jane asked.

"She's still unconscious, but she's breathing on her own, and the doctor says she'll make a full recovery," Dana told her sister. Jane nodded and then saw the guilt in Carter's eyes.

"Carter. This isn't your fault," Jane told him.

"Yes it is," Carter said, looking away from her. Then, without warning, he stormed out of Jane's hospital room.

"Carter! Wait!" Jane shouted, trying to sit up.

"Don't worry, sis," Dana reassured her. "He'll calm down. You'll see. For now, you get some rest, alright?"

"Alright." Jane lay back down and went back to sleep gladly, as the medication kicked in.

* * *

><p>Jane snapped awake, and looked around wildly. The quaking that woke her up slowed to a halt, though it knocked the clock off her bedside table. The sun was much lower than it had been before. The others were gone, and she had a raging thirst. Sitting up shakily, Jane slid out of bed, and picked up the clock. It had been an hour.<p>

Grabbing her morpher and jacket, Jane started out the door, only to run into the doctor.

"No fighting for at least a day," he said, folding his arms.

"I just want to go back to the Aquabase and see what's going on," she pleaded. The building shook again.

"I'll call the Aquabase. They'll send someone to pick you up," the doctor said at last.

"Thank you," she said, and began putting on her jacket awkwardly. Then, she headed down the hallway and found Lucretzia's hospital room. The Orange Ranger peered through the open blinds of the window of Luca's room. The young woman was still unconscious, her dark hair spilled over the pillow and her head wrapped in gauze. Beside her bed was a bouquet of fresh flowers that the team had probably brought.

"Get well soon, Luca," Jane whispered to her teammate before turning and leaving. There was a car waiting at the door when she got out, with a male technician that Jane had seen once or twice in the driver's seat. She blurted out her thanks as she hopped in the passenger seat and they took off for the base.

Back in the Aquabase, Jane was starting to feel her bruises acting up again as she limped into Headquarters. Jane got some strange, worried and even scolding looks from the various scientists, but she ignored them and went straight to Captain Mitchell's screen, where he watched the Rangers' battles.

"Jane!" She turned around and saw her father striding into the base.

"I just want to know how they're doing," Jane said. He stopped right in front of her, and looked at her for a long time. Then he nodded.

"Sit down," he said, and turned on the view screen. The Rangers were fighting Batlings in an underground cavern. It was dotted with spikes in the ground, and there were huge barrels of stuff labeled with flammable liquid stickers by the walls. Just then, Jane counted the Rangers. There were only four. Carter wasn't there.

Joel, Dana, Kelsey and Chad were giving their best, and she smiled in relief. Then Jane noticed Vypra smirking in the background. She blew something bluish into her hand, and blasted a wave of blue fire at Jane's teammates. They all fell to the ground. Vypra stalked forward, to where a Batling was holding a stake in the ground. It handed her the hammer.

"No, don't do it!" Joel shouted. Jane leaned forward, gripping the sides of her chair. Where was Carter? Had his guilt over what had happened to her, Luca and the little boy driven him to quit Lightspeed forever?

Vypra heaved the hammer back over her head, and swung down. Then a laser struck the hammer out of her hand. Carter stood at the entrance to the tunnel, legs apart and aiming his Rescue Blaster at Vypra with both hands.

"Alright!" Dana exclaimed, as she got back up. The others followed suit.

"I've had enough of your ground shaking games, Vypra! I'm putting an end to this!" Carter said in a firm voice.

"Red Ranger?" Vypra said, and raised her sword. She charged at him, but he ducked under her sword strike and aimed his gun at her again.

"Freeze!" he ordered. Then, bizarrely, he holstered his gun. Jane looked up at her dad and saw that he was smiling.

"What's he doing?" she asked.

"Using his head," Captain Mitchell replied.

"I know what you're up to, Vypra." Carter said.

"Come on, Red Ranger." Vypra taunted.

"Now's not the time." Carter replied. Vypra charged again, but Carter dodged and ran through the Batlings, somersaulting and ripping the spike out of the ground.

"Look out!" He shouted to the others. Throwing the spike into the air, he drew his gun and blasted it to smithereens, as the Rangers ducked.

"Guys! We have to destroy the spikes!" he said.

"Right," Chad said, charging forward.

"I knew that," Joel added as he followed the Blue Ranger. Jane smiled. If she and Luca were there, they would have been rolling their eyes and giggling like giddy schoolgirls. The five Rangers attacked again, this time keeping the Batlings at bay as they ripped spikes out of the ground. Kelsey yanked the first spike up, tossing it to Chad. Jane smiled as Dana caught one with her feet, and did a back flip to rip it out of the ground. The Blue Ranger caught two spikes, and threw them into a growing pile. The Rangers gathered together.

"Rescue Blasters, now!" Carter ordered.

"Stop them!" Vypra screamed, but not in time. The Lightspeed Rangers blasted the spikes into nothing. Then, as one, they twirled their guns and holstered them again. The glare Vypra sent them was murderous. "Destroy them all!" she cried. The Batlings attacked again. This time, Vypra turned and ran.

"I'm going after her!" Carter said, and did so. The others kept on fighting, destroying Batlings with little trouble. Soon, they joined Carter outside, just as Vypra disappeared around a bend. Then it happened.

"Oh no," Jane moaned, as a giant monster appeared outside the cave.

"Rescue Zords, mobilize!" Carter ordered. She could feel the vibrations of the Zord bay lifting to the surface, and wished she could make the trains go faster with her mind. They arrived, though, and the Rangers counted off as they leaped into their Zords. They went directly to Megazord mode.

_Aqua Rescue 2 pulls up as Aero Rescue 3 hovers above it. The back of the lower Zord splits apart, and Aero Rescue 3's cable magnets drop and lock onto it. Aero Rescue 3 hauls Aqua Rescue 2 up to a vertical position. Haz Rescue 4 and Med Rescue 5 raise their back halves up on hydraulic lifts, becoming the Megazord's legs. Aero Rescue 3 lowers Aqua Rescue 2 onto them, forming the upper legs and waist of the Megazord. Then it picks up Pyro Rescue 1, whose back splits open and swings apart as it's lowered onto the Megazord. The sigil on the belt spins and locks into place with a hiss. The Megazord's head unfolds out of Aero Rescue 3 as the Zord descends onto Pyro Rescue 1._

Jane thought the Megazord's arms and legs looked thin without the Copter Zord and Lucretzia's Land Zord, and wished she and her ninja-ranger friend could be there with the others. Then, Jane absent-mindedly crossed her legs, irritating a wide bruise on her shin and remembered with a wince why both she and Lucretzia weren't there.

The Megazord and monster charged at each other and began grappling. The monster ducked the Megazord's first few punches, but then the Rangers hit their stride. Landing several elbow blows, the Megazord drew back and punched the monster hard. It fell back with a blast of smoke. As the Megazord turned around, the monster seized it by a leg. Jane was squeezing the chair's sides so hard that her knuckles were white.

"Lightspeed, ladder arms," Chad said, pushing a lever. The Megazord's fists slammed into the ground. Swinging up and around on its arms, the Megazord kicked the monster away.

"Blaster grips, lock on!" Carter said, shoving his blaster into the socket. "All right, Lightspeed Megazord Saber!"

The sigil glowed, and doubled itself. The duplicate became the crosspiece of the Megazord Saber, which the giant robot seized and swung experimentally.

"Ignite!" Carter shouted. The Megazord made the circle of fire, and slashed the monster across the chest. It howled in agony, and the Megazord swung around and posed as it collapsed. Jane whooped, and so did several of the scientists.

* * *

><p>Dana, Kelsey, Joel and Chad ran into the Aquabase, and Jane leaped out of her chair. <em>Ouch! Bad idea!<em> she thought to herself as a new shot of pain coursed through her. She staggered as her side throbbed, but luckily, Dana caught her and she stood up straight.

"Relax, D. I'm okay. Wait. Where's Carter?" Jane asked her sister.

"He went back to the hospital to check on that little boy and Lucretzia," Dana said. Jane noticed a slight hard tone to Dana's voice when she mentioned Lucretzia's name. Did Dana think that something was going on romantic-wise between the Red Ranger and their ninja-ranger girlfriend? Did that mean that Dana liked Carter? Did Lucretzia like him too? What would this do to their friendship? Suddenly, Jane's head was hurting from too many questions running around inside her head. It was useless worrying about maybes and possibilities now. They'd cross the bridge when they got to it. Until then, though, Jane was going to keep an eye on her sister, Luca and Carter.

"How're you feeling?" Kelsey asked her.

"Good. I wish I'd been there," Jane said, sighing. Megazord battles were the highlight of being a Lightspeed Power Ranger for her. Missing them was like missing soccer practice before a big game, at least in her mind.

"We know, but you need to rest," Dana said. "We don't wanna lose one of our best Rangers."

"Okay," Jane said. "Maybe next time?" she added hopefully. Dana had to smile. It was times like these that Jane really reminded her of their mother; never worrying about the present, but always looking forward to the future.

"We'll see, little sister," Dana said, chuckling as Chad, Joel and Kelsey smiled. "We'll see."

* * *

><p>Please review<p>


	4. Riding the Edge

A Shade of Orange

Riding the Edge

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Co-Written by & Livangel16

Disclaims: Power Rangers belong to Saban. Lucretzia and Sensei Kurahara belong to Livangel16. I only own Jane for now.

* * *

><p>At the Aquabase<p>

"In the news today, Mariner Bay Space Developed Program has launched a new space shuttle," the TV news reporter said. Dana was reading and Jane was watching the news with Lucretzia and eating pretzels as Kelsey came in.

"Hey Dana. Luca. Jane." Kelsey said.

"Hey," Dana, Luca and Jane replied, still watching TV.

"Hey, that girl," Kelsey said. She grabbed a chair and sat down, scooting closer to the TV. "That's Nancy."

"Who?" Dana asked.

"Who's Nancy?" Jane added. She looked at her older sister, Dana, but she had no clue who Kelsey was talking about either. Then, she turned to Luca, who simply shrugged, indicating that she had no idea either.

"The girl that I told you about, with the puppy," Kelsey told them. She hadn't told any of them about either before. Then Joel, Carter and Chad came in.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Joel asked the three girls.

"Wait, Kelsey's friend is on TV," Dana said to the boys. They came over, and everyone watched the new shuttle take off in amazement. Then Joel's morpher bleeped.

"Go," Joel said into his morpher.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've got trouble," Captain Mitchell said.

"Can it wait, sir? We were watching-" Joel said.

"Joel!" the Captain said in that warning voice of his. Jane hid a smile as she silently knew what Joel was going to say next.

"I mean, we'll be right there, sir," Joel said quickly.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes of getting their jackets and getting to the Rescue Rover, five minutes of driving and then, the seven Rangers arrived at the scene, morphed and ready.<p>

"Whoa, this is crazy! Everyone, this way," Carter said to the terrified civilians.

"Let's go," Jane said, directing them past the Rescue Rover.

"It is going to be okay," Dana added.

"This way, come on. Hurry!" Chad said, and looked up to see a man hanging onto a pole. The wind was too strong for him, and he lost his grip.

"Oh no! Hi-ya!" Kelsey shouted, jumping up. She caught the man and set him on the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Thank you very much," the man panted.

"No problem," Kelsey replied. Then a demon's laughing face appeared in the sky above them. He had red eyes, horns and golden skin.

"What is that?" Carter asked his six friends. Everyone shook their heads.

"Who are you?" Jane shouted at the demon.

"I am Diabolico, firstborn son of Queen Bansheera," the demon rumbled.

"Queen Bansheera has more sons?" Jane asked. The other Rangers looked at her. "What did I say?"

"I thought you knew everything," Kelsey said.

"Jane, did the book said that Queen Bansheera had more kids?" Dana asked.

"The book only mentioned one son. But the last page was torn out," the Orange Ranger said to the other Rangers. Carter turned back to Diabolico.

"What do you want from us?" Carter asked Diabolico.

"I have come to destroy your precious city and restore my mother's palace. And I want the Sword of Sentai and its Guardian…her!" Diabolico said to them, pointing at Lucretzia. Everyone turned and stared at her.

"Luca. What's he talking about?" Chad asked.

"I think I know," Jane said under her breath. She had, after all, read about the demons, and if Lucretzia was the Guardian of the Sword, then she was lucky that she'd come to Lightspeed when she did.

"I'll explain later, Chad," Luca told him before turning back to Diabolico. "You killed my Sensei, Diabolico! You'll **never** get your hands on the Sword of Sentai as long as I live! Do you hear me? **Never!** "

"We shall see, little Guardian!" And he disappeared from the sky.

"Wait!" Carter shouted, but the demon was gone. A storm cloud formed above the city, and lightning bolts began striking the taller buildings.

"Come on guys, we have to stop them," Carter said, charging towards the storm. Everyone followed him into the now-deserted part of the city. The wind blew hard in their faces, sending empty trash cans and pieces of paper flying into the Rangers' path, but they pushed onwards.

They turned a corner, and saw a tornado whirling at the end of the street.

"Scanners online," Carter said. "He's in the tornado! Rescue Blaster!" He drew the weapon and fired a volley of shots into the cyclone. It vanished, and a dark figure dropped out. "Got him!"

The monster landed with a thump. It was dark blue-black, hunched over and with huge fangs and claws. Jane gulped, felt immediately ashamed, and was glad that her face was hidden under the helmet.

"Don't you realize that you can't stop me?" the creature taunted, and laughed.

"Save your breath," Carter said. "My friends and I will stop you. That's a promise."

"So it's friends that you want. Well, meet my friends," he said, and a wave of Batlings sprang up in the street between him and the seven Rangers. They turned in place and chattered at them.

"Wow, he's got a lot of friends," Chad said.

"But we've got each other," Carter replied, and struck a fighting stance.

"Batlings, destroy them," the demon said. With weirdly distorted shrieks, the Batlings drew swords from their belts and charged at the Rangers. Carter was ready.

"Rescue Blasters, baton mode!" he ordered, and everyone followed his lead. Jane's heart began to pound. Shouting, they charged, and began hacking their way through the Batlings.

Chad was doing basic swordplay, easily outmatching the footsoldiers. Somehow, Joel had found a cable, and was flipping around, over and under it to take out the Batlings attacking him. Jane's sister, Dana, had already switched back to blaster mode, and was blasting the footsoldiers before they came within arm's reach of her. Grabbing a dangling cable, Kelsey was pulled up into the air above her attackers, and shot them down from above. Then Jane was too busy with the creatures to notice her teammates.

Her fighting style was a lot like Dana's—shooting everything—but she had some martial arts experience, and began to get more confident as she struck the Batlings down. Then Jane saw that Carter and Luca had gotten through the footsoldiers, and Carter was battling the demon himself. Well, being thrown around by the demon. Lucretzia was on her way to help.

"Hah! You can't defeat me, I'm invincible!" The demon cried, as Carter sprang back up and faced him.

"We'll see about that," Carter retorted, charging again. The demon merely blasted him flat on his back with an explosion of sparks. Luca then kicked him before he could get another shot in. As she was helping Carter, the demon blasted them and sent them to the ground.

Jane looked around and realized suddenly that the Batlings were all gone, and joined the rest of her team as they ran to Carter's and Luca's side. They got up, and nearly fell down again before Chad and Joel caught him and Dana and Jane caught Luca with Kelsey standing close by. Then Jane heard the demon laughing, and they turned just in time to get their own blast. The wind was knocked out of Jane's lungs as she hit the pavement, and for a second she couldn't breathe.

"Rescue Blasters!" Carter shouted, and Jane automatically drew hers. Everyone fired at once, and the demon fell back with a chorus of explosions.

"I'll be back," the demon said. Then he spun into a tornado again, and shot upwards. Carter was already on his feet.

"Rescue Bird!" he ordered. "Separate!" The weapon dropped out of the sky, and the seven Rangers each caught a section and attached it to their Rescue Blasters. It felt just like training, only windier. "Unilaser Formation now! Let's do it!" he continued, taking the combined weapon as everyone stood behind him.

"Ready!" Dana said.

"Aim!" Joel added. The drill on the end began to spin. Everyone braced themselves at once.

"And fire!" Carter cried. A thick beam of golden lightning shot from the Unit Laser, slamming into the demon with a huge explosion. The tornado faded, and chunks of the demon pattered to the ground. Everyone holstered their Rescue Blasters.

"Yeah! Looks like the weather's clearing up," Carter said. Then Kelsey's communicator beeped.

"Rangers!" Captain Mitchell said.

"Go ahead, Sir," Kelsey replied, putting a hand on her helmet and holding her communicator to her mouth.

"The space shuttle is in trouble," Captain Mitchell said.

"We're losing altitude!" Jane heard a woman's voice coming through the communicator.

"The tornado hit the shuttle pretty hard. There was a lot of damage. We don't think she's going to be able to land on her own," the captain informed them.

"Nancy's in there," Kelsey said with a quick gasp.

"Don't worry, Kelsey," Joel said, putting a hand on Kelsey's shoulder. "Captain Mitchell, I can help out with Aero Rescue 3.

"You can't do it alone, Joel. You wouldn't be able to land safety. You'll both crash," Captain Mitchell replied.

"We gotta do something!" Joel protested, slamming his right fist into his left hand. Jane opened her mouth, but drew a total blank. She knew nothing about space shuttles, and barely anything about the Zords. She was stumped.

"Wait a minute. I got an idea what to do!" Kelsey exclaimed.

"Great! Let's hear it," Carter said.

"I'd tell you, but you'd think I was crazy," Kelsey said. She swung around. "Rescue Zords, mobilize!"

Everyone waited, barely able to keep still, for the Rescue Zords to arrive. Their underwater hangar had to surface, along with the tracks they used to get from the Aquabase to the city. And then the trip always took a few minutes. Jane kept hearing what she thought was their engines, but it was just the wind or a car going by. She tried very hard not to picture the space shuttle, with Kelsey's friend Nancy inside, crashing into either the city or the ocean.

Finally, _finally_, they arrived, screeching to a halt.

"Let's hit it!" Joel said, as everyone ran to the Zords. Jane's was almost all the way in the back, but she was quick and got in as Carter started talking.

"You call the shots, Kelsey," Carter said. The Pyro Zord began driving down the track.

"Ready!" Chad said, following him out.

"Joel, Jane, locate the shuttle," Kelsey ordered. The Orange Ranger's heart began racing. Of course, since only Joel and she had flying Zords, they'd have to go after the shuttle itself.

"You got it, Kelsey!" Joel said.

"Follow me," Kelsey ordered.

"You got it," Dana, Luca and Jane said at the same time, and she couldn't help a little giggle. Jane followed Joel up into the sky, and soon the space shuttle came into view. It was zooming downwards at a steep angle.

"Hello, space shuttle. This is Aero Rescue Three at your service. Coming up at 2 o'clock right about now," Joel said. His obvious confidence made Jane feel a little better.

"Chopper Rescue Six, at ten o'clock," she said, coming up alongside the shuttle.

"Great, but most of my controls are jammed, including our landing gear," the woman she'd heard before said. That must be Nancy.

"Don't worry. Kelsey, I'm in position," Joel said.

"Me too," Jane added.

"Alright. Attach your cable magnets onto the shuttle," Kelsey said.

"Cable magnets? For what?" Nancy asked.

"We're going to help you land," Kelsey said.

"Roger that! Try to keep it steady, Nancy. We're locking on," Joel said, moving above the shuttle. Jane followed him, hovering over the back half of the out-of-control space shuttle.

"Careful! I don't have much control," Nancy warned. She saw Joel's cable magnets descending, and let hers go.

"Almost…Alright, we got you!" Joel said, as the magnets clanged into place. Jane felt the jolt as her cable magnets attached. Joel began pulling the shuttle up out of its dive, and she followed suit.

"Carter, my readings are showing that the shuttle is leveling off," Chad said.

"That's fantastic, but it can't land at that speed," Carter replied.

"Dana, clear the freeway. It's about to come to a landing strip," Kelsey said. "Luca, there's some debris on it from the storm."

"We're on it, Kelsey!" Luca replied, before using Land Rescue 7's extendable claws to begin clear the debris. Jane could see the Med Rescue 5 below, driving towards the blocked-up traffic on the freeway.

"Kelsey, I'm on it," Dana replied. She switched to a loudspeaker. "Attention, this is an emergency. You must clear the freeway. Everybody, drive to the Med Rescue vehicle. Please proceed quick and carefully." The cars did as she ordered, and Jane went back to keeping the space shuttle on-course. It was heavy, and felt almost as if it was dragging her along with it.

"Close hatch. Cars loaded complete. The freeway is yours, Kelsey," Dana said at last.

"We're all clear on this end!" Luca added. "Take it away, girl!"

"Great! Joel, put the shuttle on my roof," Kelsey said.

"What? On top of your Zord?" Joel protested.

"While you're moving? You must be crazy!" Nancy cried. The poor woman sounded more scared than Jane felt.

"Crazy is my middle name," Kelsey replied enthusiastically.

"Your middle name? Kelsey? Kelsey, is that you?" Nancy exclaimed. The Orange Ranger could hear the incredulous, relieved smile in her voice.

"The one and only," Kelsey said.

"If you think this will work, I think so too. Let's go," Nancy said.

"That's the spirit," Kelsey said. Her confidence made Jane think that this could actually work. She tightened her grip on her controls, and took a few deep breaths.

"Beginning descent," Joel said. Jane tilted downwards after him, realized she was holding her breath, and let it out.

"All set, Joel. Bring her down," Kelsey said.

"I've got a visual," Nancy said. Now Jane could see, too. The Haz Zord zoomed along the empty street below them. "Easy. Smooth," the astronaut said, nervousness creeping into her voice.

"I am all over it. This reminds me on the air show days. Hold on, 'cause here comes the Sky Cowboy!" Joel said. Jane fixed her gaze on his cable magnets as they flew along above the Haz Zord. They detached, and she separated hers an instant later.

Joel and Jane flew back up into the air, leaving the shuttle going on sheer momentum. It quickly gained on the Haz Zord.

"Alright! It's almost over," Kelsey said.

"Steady…" Joel said.

"You got it!" Dana cried. The shuttle touched down, scraping along the top of the Haz Zord with a flurry of sparks. Haz Rescue 4's tires skidded and bounced on the concrete street. Jane's hands were sweating in the gloves.

"Gotcha! Carter, how am I doing?" Kelsey asked.

"Ease down. You're running out of freeway," Carter warned.

"You can do it, Kelsey!" Chad added. The shuttle began sliding forwards, off the Haz Zord's roof.

"You have to stop!" Jane cried. She could see the end of the freeway, an overpass that must have been smashed during the storm—it broke off in midair.

"I'm trying," Kelsey protested. The shuttle dropped back on.

"Carter, you and me back her up!" Luca said, driving towards the end of the freeway in Land Rescue 7.

"Good idea, Luca," Carter seconded, driving behind her in Pyro Rescue 1.

"Here I go, full reverse!" Haz Rescue 4's tires squealed. It skidded to a halt just at the edge of the freeway, front tires hanging in the air. Jane held her breath, but it didn't fall.

"We did it," Nancy said, almost disbelieving. Then, happier, "We did it! Yes! Kelsey, we did it!" Jane could hear Nancy's copilot whooping joyfully in the background.

"Yup! Now that was crazy, even for me," Kelsey said. She sounded tired, but really happy. Robotic arms extended, Pyro Rescue 1 grasped the shuttle at either end.

"Thanks a lot, Carter," Kelsey said, as Carter lifted the shuttle away and set it gently on the grass.

"Whew. You did the hard work," Carter said.

"I sure didn't do it alone. Nothing like doing the impossible," Kelsey said, casually cracking her neck muscles.

"Thank you, all of you. Thank you," Nancy said.

Then, Jane glimpsed something moving out of the corner of her eye. Turning Copter Rescue 6, she was just in time to see a flurry of bats cloud the air, forming into a giant-sized version of the demon they'd just destroyed.

"Oh no!" Carter cried. Roaring, the monster began smashing up more of the overpass.

"Carter, time to step it up a level," Chad said.

"Megazord mode! Lightspeed!" Carter said.

"Lightspeed!" Everyone cried, saluting.

_Aqua Rescue 2 pulls up as Aero Rescue 3 hovers above it. The back of the lower Zord splits apart, and Aero Rescue 3's cable magnets drop and lock onto it. Aero Rescue 3 hauls Aqua Rescue 2 up to a vertical position. Haz Rescue 4 and Med Rescue 5 raise their back halves up on hydraulic lifts, becoming the Megazord's legs. Aero Rescue 3 lowers Aqua Rescue 2 onto them, forming the upper legs and waist of the Megazord. Pyro Rescue 1's back half splits open and swings apart._

"Megazord, initiate!" Carter shouted.

_Pyro Rescue 1's arms grab the half-formed Megazord and it pulls itself up, settling atop it. The Megazord's head unfolds out of Aero Rescue 3 as the Zord descends onto Pyro Rescue 1. Copter Rescue 6 splits in half down the middle, and attaches to the Megazord's arms. Land Rescue 7 splits into three parts and attaches to the Megazord's legs and other elbow._

"All right, all systems go!" Carter said.

"Wind spin!" the demon cried, beginning to do so. The wind hit the Megazord like a punch in the stomach, and the Megazord swayed. The guy Rangers said encouraging things like "hang tight," and they did. The demon finally stopped.

"Lightspeed ladder arms!" Carter called. "Power thrust!" Jane followed his lead, and they pummeled the demon over and over with the telescoping Megazord's arms.

"Let's give this guy a lift," Carter said. The Megazord grabbed the demon by the waist, swung him around in a full circle, and threw him back down, behind some buildings. There was a huge, fiery explosion.

"That's the last of that windbag!" Joel said.

"We did it!" Carter exclaimed.

"Not so fast, guys, take a look," Chad said quickly. Oh no. The demon was getting up, uninjured but plenty annoyed.

"Man! Why don't these things ever get down and stay there?" Luca groaned.

"Lightspeed Megazord Saber, ignite! Lightspeed Megazord Shield!" Carter ordered. The sigil on the Megazord's belt glowed, flew out and turned into the Saber. The blades of Jane's Copter spun right off, becoming a circular shield in midair that the Megazord caught with its left arm. "Full power!"

Raising the Megazord Saber, the Rangers drew it down and around in a full, fiery circle. Then, taking a step forward, they slashed the demon across the chest. Sparking and exploding, the demon fell, with one enormous, fiery blast to signal his demise.

"Nothing's impossible for you guys," Nancy said admiringly. Jane started; she'd forgotten she was still there. They gave the Saber a few final twirls, and then disassembled the Megazord and sent it back to the Aquabase. Then the seven Rangers went to the shuttle.

* * *

><p>"Kelsey!" Nancy cried, jumping up and down and waving. She turned out to be a pretty blonde woman, naturally in a NASADA uniform. Everyone ran over, Kelsey helmetless.<p>

"Nancy!" Kelsey said, hugging her new friend.

"I should have known you'd turn out to be a Power Ranger. So, what is like to become part of Lightspeed Rescue?" She asked.

"I love it. It's funny; I actually always dreamed of flying a space shuttle," Kelsey said.

"Yeah? Well, after seeing the kind of rescues you have to do, I think I'll keep my job and you should keep yours," Nancy replied, and everyone laughed.

"I'll second that," Chad said, and Joel agreed. Kelsey put her arm around Nancy, and everyone kept laughing. She wasn't sure about the others, but Jane was just relieved they'd done it, and was now very tired. But the day wasn't over just yet.

* * *

><p>Dressed in black, Jane laid a rose on the headstone of Lucretzia's master, Sensei Kurahara. Then, she stepped back and watched alongside her father as one by one, her teammates laid their roses on the grave. Luca was last. She knelt down in the grass beside the grave and placed it reverently on the headstone.<p>

She heard Lucretzia say how much Sensei Kurahara meant to her, and watched as she broke down and sobbed. Jane sniffled and felt her father, Captain Mitchell, wrap an arm tightly around her shoulder, wiping away his own tears. Jane hated funerals because she always ended up crying her eyes out, even when she didn't know the person. And seeing Lucretzia so sad, especially after finding out that she was the Guardian of the Sword of Sentai, only made Jane feel worse.

"I think I'd like to be alone with him for a little longer," Luca told her teammates. Everyone nodded, and Jane hugged Luca and told her how sorry she was for her loss before heading back to the Aquabase with the others.

"Poor Luca," Kelsey said, wiping away fresh tears from her eyes. "I feel so bad for her." Carter, Dana, Joel and Chad all nodded and agreed.

"I can't imagine anything worse than this happening to her," Joel said.

_If only you knew guys,_ Jane thought sadly to herself, remembering the page in the book on the demons about the powerful and dangerous sword that was now in the possession of a teenage girl. _If only you knew!_

* * *

><p>Please review<p>


	5. A Matter of Trust

A Shade of Orange

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Co-Written By Liveangel16

A Matter of Trust

Disclaims: Power Rangers belong to Saban. Lucretzia and Sensei Kurahara belong to Livangel16. I only own Jane for now.

* * *

><p>The seven Power Rangers were gathered in the meeting room again, as Captain Mitchell gave them a video presentation of their newest mission. The screen showed a scientist carefully carrying a silver-and-blue oblong object about the length of his hand. Jane was seated beside Lucretzia, who was looking slightly depressed. Jane felt sorry for her. She knew what it was like to lose someone close to you.<p>

"Rangers, pay very close attention. This fuel cell is top secret, and it's extremely powerful. Also remember it senses to high temperature, so you must keep away from the heat no matter what," Captain Mitchell said. The computer image of the fuel cell exploded, and it was massive. Everyone sat up sharply, and Jane and Dana's father ended the video. "You will meet Dr. Hanson at the airport. He'll have it with him. Your job is to make sure it gets back here, safe and sound," Captain Mitchell instructed.

"Understood, sir. Nothing will happen to that fuel cell. Come on, let's go," Carter said. The other Rangers started out, but Captain Mitchell called Dana and Jane back.

"Dana, Jane, I have a different assignment for you two," he said. The two sisters exchanged confused looks with everyone else.

"C'mon guys," Luca said. "We've got to meet Dr. Hansen."

"But Dana and Jane…," Carter began to say.

"Have their assignment and we have ours," Luca told him firmly. There was something in her eyes that told Jane that she knew more than she was letting on. "Let's go." The others followed Luca out to the Transport Bay.

"What is it?" Dana asked, as she and Jane came over.

"I asked an old friend to stop by. The problem is his eyesight's pretty bad. I want you two to give him a ride. Here is his address. He's waiting for you. I appreciate it," their father said, writing the address on a piece of stationary and passing it to Dana. She passed it to Jane, and the Orange Ranger looked up at Captain Mitchell in disbelief.

"Father, with all due respect, call your friend a taxi. Or send Jane if you're worried about her getting hurt again," Dana said.

"Dana! I'm fine!" Jane protested. Her older sister continued.

"The other Rangers need our help."

"The fuel cell could—" Jane began to add, but Captain Mitchell cut her off.

"Dana, Jane, the others have their assignment, and you two have yours," he said firmly. Dana sucked in a breath.

"_This_? This is no assignment. This is babysitting. You can say you trust me. You can choose me to be the Pink Ranger, but in the end, all you see me as, is your little girl." Dana said, her voice taut with anger.

"Why did you give us the morphers if you weren't going to let us fight?" Jane added, folding her arms. Captain Mitchell merely looked at the two of them. Realizing that this was a lost battle and that arguing wasn't going to do anything, Jane snapped a quick salute, and Dana did as well. Then the two sisters turned and left.

* * *

><p>The trip into town was silent and tense. As the two sisters walked, Jane's anger seeped away and was replaced by guilt for the way she'd snapped at their father. Sure, she was still seething at being taken out of action, but...<p>

"Dana, I'm sure Dad's got a good reason for this," Jane said hesitantly. Dana let out a huff of air and said nothing. But Jane knew that her older sister knew that she was right.

At their father's friend's house, Dana knocked on the door and she and Jane waited. It was a shabby place, almost an alley. _Who'd wanna live __**here**__? _Jane wondered curiously.

"Dana, should we really have acted like that to Dad?" Jane asked her older sister. "Even if he is taking us out of the fight, he's just looking out for us. Why does this bother you so much?"

"Stop asking questions," Dana said.

"Why?" she asked again. Dana punched her sister's arm playfully, and the two girls both laughed. The tension went away, and Jane felt a lot better. Just then, their father's friend appeared, and looked at them through the metal outer door.

"Hi," the two sisters said at the same time.

"I'm Jane," Jane said by way of introduction.

"I'm Dana. Are you…"

"Oh, Bill Mitchell's daughters," the man said. Laughing, he hugged them both, one with each arm. "I'm Earl. Darn tootin' glad to make your acquaintance. Just a minute," he told them before he went back inside.

"_Darn tootin'? _Is he for real?" Jane asked her sister.

"I think so," Dana replied. Earl came out, handed Dana a set of fishing poles, and locked up his door behind him.

"Let's be off, while they're still biting," Earl said, and started for the car with a box—probably a bait case—tucked under his arm.

"Wait a minute," Jane began, and Dana finished for her.

"You and our father are going _fishing_?" Earl laughed.

"Jealous, are you? I'll make it up to you. Listen, for being such good girls, you can drive Old Blue," Earl said, fishing a set of keys out of his pocket. Jane looked around him at the pickup truck dubiously. Dana rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Oh dear," Earl said, as he stood with the passenger door open. "There's three of us, isn't there?"

"I can squeeze in the middle," Jane offered. "I'm small enough."

"If your sis thinks it's okay," Earl said. Dana nodded. Jane grimaced and got inside. _This is gonna be a __**long**__ day! _she thought to herself.

* * *

><p>The three people were driving along smoothly, Dana staring at the road ahead, when Jane's communicator went off. It was Carter.<p>

"Dana, Jane, we need you two and **fast**!" the Red Ranger said.

"We're on our way," Dana said, and turned the truck left. The tires squealed, and Earl's bait case—which he'd refused to let go of—jammed into Jane's still-healing side. She hissed in pain, and Earl sent her an apologetic look.

"Hurry!" Carter shouted.

"Negative, Dana and Jane. Return to the Aquabase," Captain Mitchell interrupted.

"Father—sir—they need our help. Your fishing trip can wait," Dana said.

"I won't say it again. Return to the base," Dad repeated.

"But—"

"That's an order!" Captain Mitchell said. Dana's mouth tightened into an angry line, and Jane grabbed handfuls of her pants with a frustrated growl. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Earl clutching his bait case to his chest and watching the two sisters. "Dana, Jane, return to the base. _Now!_"

"Jane. Dana," Lucretzia's voice came over the communicator. "Listen to your father. Get back to the base. He knows what he's doing."

"Who's side are you on, Luca?!" Dana shouted.

"Yours, D. Like always!" Lucretzia replied. "And yours too, Jane. Just trust me. And trust your father."

Dana looked to Jane, and she nodded. Luca was right. Dana swung the car back around with an angry jerk, and Jane nearly put her head through the windshield. Never before had she appreciated seatbelts.

"Hold on," Dana told the two of them. Tires screeching, the three started back towards the Aquabase. They drove silently for several minutes. Jane kept looking at her morpher, wishing Luca, Carter or one of the other Rangers would call in, or that her father would tell them what was going on at least. He was probably mad at them, but then again, **they** were mad at **him** for not letting them fight.

"So, how much farther?" Earl asked.

"Not far," Dana said. Jane sighed, slumping back against the bare metal between seats.

"This is dull," she said.

"I know," Dana replied. They drove onwards, and Jane began feeling hotter and hotter. She started to sweat, and Dana fanned herself with her free hand. When had it gotten so hot out? The air was practically rippling with heat.

"It's getting too hot out," Earl said. Jane bit back a snappy retort: he was right, but she was getting a headache, and she was cranky from this babysitting assignment their father had forced on them. She leaned forward, and saw something bright shooting out of the sky, heading towards them.

"Look out!" Jane yelled, pointing to the sky above. Fireballs slammed into the pavement on either side of the car, which skidded out of control. The truck slammed into a pile of crates and barrels, and Earl's tackle box fell on the floor, spilling out—chunks of ice? Jane was now extremely confused. Why would a tackle box need ice in it?

"Are you okay?" Dana asked Earl.

"I'm fine," Earl said shakily. Dana climbed out and began looking around.

"Me too, thanks for asking," Jane replied sarcastically, unbuckling her seatbelt and following her older sister outside. Earl snatched up his case again and climbed out of the truck. Dana whirled around.

"Hey, where are you going?!" she shouted, running over. Jane followed her. Earl reached an ice box, opened it and began shoveling ice into his tackle box as if his life depended on it.

"What are you—?" Jane began to ask, but Dana interrupted her, putting a hand on her younger sister's shoulder. The two of them stared down at the open box. Inside it sat a silvery, oblong object with an oval of blue glass. Both Dana and Jane recognized it immediately.

"The fuel cell? You had it the whole time?" Dana said, starting to smile as she understood. Earl shut the case. The drawl in his voice vanished.

"Yes, I did. Your father and I…we hoped nothing would happen. But in case it did, he insisted that if you two were with me, I would get to the Aquabase safely. No matter what," Earl told them.

"Our father said that?" Jane asked.

"Of course. Dana, Jane," he said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Your father couldn't believe it more. Take my word."

Dana smiled, and so did Jane. Then a laser struck the wall above the three of them, and they all fell to the ground. Earl lost his grip on the fuel cell's case, and it fell wide open. Jane hit her head, and for a second everything whirled around her.

Earl, favoring his right shoulder, started crawling towards the fuel cell. Vypra landed on the far side of the lot, sword in hand. Moving quickly, Earl grabbed the fuel cell and wrapped it in his battered brown jacket, shoving chunks of ice into it to keep the fuel cell cool.

"Are you okay?" Dana asked, running over to Earl. Jane's head pounded, and she had bitten her tongue hard enough to draw blood, but she got up. Vypra advanced on them, wearing the same smirk she'd been wearing when she'd taken Jane and Lucretzia out before.

"Dana, go with Earl. **I'll** take care of her!" Jane ordered, casting a glare at the demon. Vypra only laughed, coming closer.

"Are you sure?" Dana asked.

"I've got a score to settle with her. Go!" her younger sister shouted. Dana and Earl ran, and Jane dropped into a fighting stance.

"I beat you once, little Ranger. And I can beat you again," Vypra taunted, looking as smug as a well-fed cat.

"We'll see about that!" Jane retorted, and charged in for a hit with a shout. Vypra struck out at Jane with her sword, but the Orange Ranger deflected it and punched at her chest. Whirling, the demon blocked her kick and hit Jane in the gut. She doubled over with a grunt of pain and staggered back a few steps. With a laugh, the demon charged, and Jane only _just _avoided the brunt of her next strike. Her shoulder throbbed where she'd hit her, and she followed it up with a blow to Jane's back that threw her to her knees, scraping them raw.

Jane turned and ran. She hurt all over, and Vypra would've killed her if she'd kept trying to fight. She remembered the words Lucretzia had told her after she'd been released from the hospital: "Even the greatest of warriors will not stand and fight to the death and lose if he knows he can fight another day and win." Vypra came hard after Jane, her mocking laughter ringing in the young girl's ears. She ducked behind a pile of crates and waited, trying to breathe quietly. Jane heard Vypra's footsteps stop before they then headed in the other direction. Panting, the Orange Ranger got back up and started looking for Dana and Earl. At least she'd earned them some time.

Her old sister and their father's friend were at the waterfront when Jane finally found them. Dana had put Earl's arm in a sling, and he carried the fuel cell in his other, good arm like a baby. She ran up to them.

"Sis?! What happened?" Dana asked in shock, catching Jane as she stumbled.

"She's too powerful! I couldn't beat her!" Jane gasped, and clutched her side with a grunt of pain. Then she heard Vypra's battle cry, and whirled around. There she was, this time all business. Water dripped from the bundle around the fuel cell. If they didn't do something, either Vypra would get the fuel cell or it would explode, which would kill all four of them. Jane didn't like either option. The three of them backed up until their heels bumped the edge of the dock. Watching Dana, Jane saw her eyes light up with an idea.

"Trust me," Dana said. Earl nodded, and Vypra fired at them. Dana grabbed a bar off the ground, and Jane followed her lead. The crossed poles deflected the blast back at Vypra with a shower of sparks. As she recoiled, the three people leaped into the water.

The submarine was waiting for Dana, Jane and Earl below with an open airlock. They swam inside, and the door closed behind them. As the water went down in the little room, Jane took a huge breath, shaking her sopping-wet hair out of her face.

"Great idea, sis!" Jane said to Dana, who was checking on Earl's arm again. Jane smiled. Dana; a paramedic to the core. Lightspeed personnel helped them into the main part of the sub, giving the three of them towels and an once-over. The dive had made Jane's wounds—new and old—feel better, but they still ached dully. At last, they reached the Aquabase. Captain Mitchell was in the hallway, waiting as the three of them arrived close to him.

"You made it," he said, smiling. Earl held out the fuel cell.

"Thanks to Dana and Jane," he replied, passing it to the Captain.

"Sir, the other Rangers…" Dana trailed off. Captain Mitchell nodded to his two daughters.

"Go," he said. The two saluted and ran off to help the other Rangers, morphing along the way.

* * *

><p>Dana and Jane arrived just as the demon—Fireor—threw Carter to the ground.<p>

"You can't fight fire, Red Ranger! I'm going to snuff you out like a candle!" Fire Lord laughed, advancing on Carter. Lucretzia blasted the demon, who stumbled back.

"Keep away from my friends, Flame Boy!" Lucretzia snarled as she hurried over and stood in front of Carter.

"Ah! So **you're** the Guardian of that little sword everyone's been talking about!" Fireor said. "After I flambé these four and Pink and Orange, I'll take ya to meet Diabolico, little Ranger!"

"Over my dead body, you flame-eating dog!" Lucretzia shot back, converting her Blaster into Baton Mode and charging at him. Unfortunately, after a few sword blows, Luca was down for the count beside Carter.

"The flames of passion burned bright in you, little Guardian girl! But you're flame's about to be extinguished!" Fireor said, standing over Lucretzia. That was when Dana and Jane blasted the demon.

"You weren't having a barbeque without us, were you?" Dana asked. The two Mitchell sisters twirled their blasters and holstered them, as the others gathered around them.

"Two more Rangers to roast!" Fireor cried.

"Dana, Jane! Am I glad to see you two!" Carter said.

"Same here!" Luca seconded.

"Hi-ya!" everyone shouted.

"Now see who feels the heat!" Dana said.

"Come on guys! Let's do it!" Jane added.

"Power Rangers. Rescue Ready!" everyone shouted, and charged. Carter reached Fire Lord First and swung his baton mode Blaster at the monster. But Fire Lord teleported behind him, transforming into fire. The demon smacked Carter around and retreated to a balcony, laughing.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Dana shouted, and leaped into the air, catching a hanging wire. The other six Rangers imitated her, and rappelled up the wall. Fire Lord ran into the building as they came, and all seven Rangers went in after him.

"Be careful, guys," Carter cautioned, drawing his Rescue Blaster. Guns in hand, Jane and the others looked around for Fire Lord. Then she heard him.

"You've jumped from the frying pan right into the fire!" he taunted from the ceiling, and blasted them with a fireball.

"Did you say "jump"?" Joel retorted. Everyone sprang out of the flames-Joel bouncing off Fire Lord's shoulder-and landed on a ceiling beam behind the demon. "Aerial attack!" The seven Rangers jumped back down, seizing dangling cables and swinging towards the monster. Jane and each of the other Rangers landed a solid kick as they swung by, Carter and Lucretzia's combined attack throwing Fire Lord back several yards.

"How about a fireball?" Fire Lord shouted, raising an arm.

"Look out!" Chad shouted, just as the fireball hit. Jane and the others crumpled weakly to the floor. She heard Fire Lord coming towards them, making yet another fire-related pun. _Doesn't he __**ever**__ get tired of that? _she wondered in annoyance. He planted a foot on Carter's chest, and summoned another fireball.

"Now!" Carter shouted, and all seven Rangers tackled the demon. He struggled, and they all let go just in time for the fireball to hit him. Howling, he exploded.

"Mission accomplished," Dana said, with a salute.

Just then, Jane saw a card fly out of nowhere and land on the remains of the demon, but before she could point it out, Fire Lord's leftovers turned into bats and few out the window. Everyone ran to the window, just in time to see him grow and become giant-sized.

"Rail Rescues, on track!" Dana ordered. The trains were there before Jane knew it. She and the other Rangers quickly hurried into their Rescue Zords.

"Ready!" Carter shouted.

"Set!" Dana replied.

"Blaster grips, lock on!" the Red Ranger said, and Jane did so. As before, the seven Rangers did their roll call as they drove or flew out of the Rail Rescue. Carter ordered Megazord Mode immediately, and they started the assembly. Fire Lord kept smashing up buildings as the seven Zords came together, but turned around the moment they were finished to attack them. The demon got a few sword blows in before the Megazord grabbed his wrists. Extending their ladder arms, they shoved him back and tossed him aside.

"Lightspeed flip kick!" Dana shouted. Jane smiled. So that was what the extended-arms-somersault was called. Interesting. It worked beautifully. "Lightspeed Megazord Saber and Shield!"

"We aren't wasting any time here, are we?" Jane chuckled, as the Megazord caught the weapons. The monster staggered towards them.

"Ignite!" Dana called. The Megazord slashed across Fire Lord's chest, and he fell back with an enormous explosion. Whirling around, the Megazord swung the Megazord Saber and stood tall against the skies of Mariner Bay.

* * *

><p>Dana knocked on the door to Captain Mitchell's quarters. Jane clasped her hands behind her back nervously. She didn't know what to expect from their father regarding their attitudes. Anger? Disappointment?<p>

"Come in," he said. The two sisters entered and saw him seated at his desk. He'd been typing something before, but was now looking up at them.

"Hello Father," Dana said, and Jane echoed her. He folded his hands.

"Dana, Jane. Something on your minds?" Captain Mitchell asked.

"We wanted to say that we're sorry," Dana said.

"About what we said earlier. It's just…sometimes we wonder if maybe you think of us as only your little girls," Jane continued.

"And not really Power Rangers," Dana finished. Captain Mitchell got up, sighed, and came around the desk to sit on it.

"For years, I have been training you two to become the Pink and Orange Power Rangers. And after today, I know I couldn't have been more right," Dad said. The two girls smiled, and he got up again. "But for all those years, you two have still been my little girls. I guess a part of me doesn't want that to change," he said softly.

"We're proud to be Rangers. But Dad… **nothing** tops being your little girls," Jane said, smiling. Captain Mitchell smiled and gathered his daughters to him for a group hug. But neither Dana nor Jane noticed him look over the tops of their heads and smile through the small window at a certain White Ranger. Lucretzia smiled and then disappeared, leaving the Mitchells to bask in this family moment.

* * *

><p>Please Review<p> 


	6. Wheel of Destruction

A Shade of Orange

Wheels of Destruction

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Co-Written by Livangel16

Disclaims: Power Rangers belong to Saban. Lucretzia and Sensei Kurahara belong to Livangel16. I only own Jane for now.

* * *

><p>The alarm went off. <em>Demons! <em>Jane thought to herself angrily. _Don't they __**ever **__do something else beside cause trouble?! _Dana, Kelsey, Carter, Chad, Lucretzia and Jane ran into the Rescue Rover's bay, and saw Joel talking to Miss Fairweather.

"Let's go, Joel!" Dana shouted as the other six Rangers ran past, grabbing their jackets off the wall. Joel and Miss Fairweather looked at them.

"Darn it. I guess you have to go," Miss Fairweather said. She sounded genuinely annoyed, not sarcastic like she usually did. Jane and Luca exchanged confused looks, but said nothing.

"Duty calls," Joel replied, running to the Rescue Rover.

"Forget something?" Chad called. He threw Joel's jacket at the Green Ranger as the lift began to drop. Jane looked up to see Miss Fairweather standing at the edge of the trapdoor, shaking her head. The Orange Ranger glanced at Joel, and considered asking him if he was making any progress with their weapons designer, but decided against it. He didn't look like he wanted to talk about it.

Carter drove out to an empty roadway, pulled over and everyone saw a bat-like demon swooping through the air.

"Lightspeed Rescue!" they shouted, morphing and then charging after him on foot.

"Move it guys!" Carter commanded as the demon flapped away. Then he landed, and turned to face them. He had a face like a vulture's.

"Man! That is one **ugly **buzzard!" Jane commented.

"Batlings! Get them!" the demon cried, and the foot soldiers charged from behind him. _Again?! _Jane thought as they ran into battle. _Don't these guys know that we're gonna kick their butts all over the place?! Why do they even bother?!_

Carter twisted one Batling's arm behind its back, somersaulted and kicked another to the ground. Flipping out of their reach, Joel deflected a sword blow and elbowed a Batling in the chest. Kelsey twisted around a railing to knock several of the foot soldiers down at once. Dana backflipped and kicked her way through the Batlings. Chad was in top form, felling Batlings right and left. Lucretzia was using her ninjitsu moves to floor Batlings all over the place. Jane didn't even glance at her Rescue Blaster as she threw a Batling over the railing.

"That was just a warm-up!" the monster shouted, as the seven Rangers all lined up to face him again. "See if you can handle this!" He fired a trio of lasers at them, and Dana backflipped into the air. The other six caught her arms and legs and held her up.

"No problem! Let's see if you can handle **this**!" she shouted. The other Rangers threw her, she drew her Blaster and then blasted the demon in the chest. He fell, and as they gathered again, he got back up, moaning.

"Man, I hate pounding the pavement! Why don't _you_ give it a try!" he shouted, raising a wind strong enough to start ripping up chunks of the pavement. The seven Rangers were pummeled hard and fell to the ground, and he laughed.

"Fire!" Carter shouted, and everyone shot at the demon with their Rescue Blasters. He exploded with a rain of sparks.

"Nice teamwork, guys. He won't be bothering Mariner Bay again," Carter said, twirling his Rescue Blaster and holstering it.

"You got that right," Joel seconded.

"Let's get out of here," Lucretzia suggested. The seven started for the Rescue Rover. Then Jane heard a faint noise that sounded like an engine and stopped.

"Guys! I hear something!" Jane exclaimed, putting a hand to her ear. The sound got louder, and the other Rangers could hear it too.

"I hear it too," Dana agreed.

"What's that?" Kelsey asked. Then a car came around the corner. It was bizarre-looking, like a little race car with bat wings on the sides. Its cockpit was glass, and everyone could see the driver.

"It's Vypra!" Carter declared, and he was right. She pulled up facing them, and Jane saw the Gatling gun-like weapons on the top. This didn't look good. Vypra smirked at them.

"Try this!" she yelled and pushed a button. The roof guns fired at the seven Power Rangers, but they ducked. Leaping forward, Jane and her friends returned fire with their Rescue Blasters, but when the smoke cleared, Vypra was laughing at them. Jane clenched her fists. She was _not_ going to beat them again!

"Not even a scratch. It's impossible!" Carter breathed. Her engines revved, and the demon's car zoomed towards them.

"I've got her!" Jane shouted and charged towards the demon's new car.

"Jane! Wait!" Carter and Luca protested, but she'd already leaped into the air and fired down at the oncoming demon. Then Jane's foot caught on the roof, and she flipped out of control. She landed on her back, all the wind shooting out of her lungs, and Jane gasped for breath.

"Are you alright, Jane?!" Luca asked, hurrying over to the Orange Ranger's side.

"Yeah. I…look out!" Jane shouted. The car came around, slashing her teammates with flurries of sparks and throwing them to the ground, including Lucretzia.

"They have no effect," Vypra said. She stopped with a screech. "Just what I thought. In my Vypari, I am invincible!" Vypra cried triumphantly. She hit the gas pedal and started driving away.

"We've got to stop her! Come on!" Carter said, as everyone struggled to their feet. They climbed painfully into the Rescue Rover, and buckled up as Carter ordered them to. The Rescue Rover charged after the Vypari. "Hold on tight, guys! Chad, Luca! Try to take out her tires!"

"Our pleasure!" Luca replied, twirling her Blaster like a gun-toting cowgirl. She and Chad leaned out the side and began firing. The other four Rangers minus Carter all followed suit. Red lasers peppered the Vypari and the street around it, but nothing happened.

"She's getting away!" Carter cried. He turned the corner after the demon, but she wasn't there. "What?!" Carter exclaimed and hit the brakes. Everyone was confused, and looked around for the car.

"Where'd she go?" Chad asked.

"I don't know," Carter replied.

"I don't see her anywhere," Kelsey said.

"Well, she didn't just disappear!" Carter growled. Then he hit the dashboard with a frustrated "Gah!"

"Don't worry, Carter. We'll find her," Luca told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Just then, the familiar squeal of tires sounded behind them, and Jane turned around to see the Vypari zoom back into the road behind them.

"Behind us, guys!" Jane cried.

"She snuck up behind us!" Dana yelled. Then Vypra chuckled, and pounded the Rescue Rover with her lasers. Everyone collapsed into their seats, half-blinded by the explosions, and the Vypari's engine sounds grew fainter. Vypra was turning in a wide circle, about to disappear again.

"Huh? We can't lose her again!" Carter said, starting the engine. But as the Rover swung around, the Vypari vanished into a ripple of air, leaving two streaks of violet fire burning on the roadway behind it. "What was that?!"

Everyone climbed out of the car, guns at the ready. But nothing came.

"I don't believe it! She's just playing with us!" Carter exclaimed angrily, holstering his Blaster.

* * *

><p>The battered, scorched Rescue Rover rose up into its storage hangar. Jane saw Miss Fairweather's horrified face as they came into view.<p>

"Oh my!" she managed and then came rushing over. "What happened?!"

"Vypra has a new battle vehicle," Carter said quietly, taking the keys out of the ignition. Grimly, everyone climbed out of the Rescue Rover and started straight for the meeting room. Joel lingered for a moment, looking at Miss Fairweather, but soon followed the rest of them.

Captain Mitchell was already in the meeting room. He gestured for them to sit, and looked to Carter for an explanation. Jane saw Luca glancing at Carter with a look of pity and sympathy. She felt the same way. It was never easy being the guy in charge. The Red Ranger explained everything, and Jane and Dana's father listened silently.

"Interesting," he said when Carter paused. "Then what happened?"

"We had the Rover's defenses up, but her lasers blasted right through," Dana said.

"Did you return fire?" Captain Mitchell asked.

"Ineffective, sir. Her shields deflected every shot," Carter replied.

"And talk about speed. She went in circles around us," Joel added.

"We had no chance of catching her," Jane finished. Captain Mitchell got out of his chair and began to pace.

"But she didn't go after any civilians or buildings in the city," Luca jumped in. "Why would she just mess around with us?"

"I don't think it was messing around with us. I think...she was testing us," Chad theorized, and everyone looked at him.

"Exactly," Captain Mitchell confirmed. "And now she knows for sure that you can't beat her with the Rescue Rover." The seven all exchanged grim looks.

* * *

><p>Another attack happened barely hours after the first. Most demons at least waited a week—then again, most demons actually <em>lost<em>. The seven Rangers took the newly-repaired Rescue Rover to the scene, and it was a mess. Buildings had been blasted down, burning debris was everywhere, and worst of all, injured people were all over the place.

"Come on, let's go," Dana said as they climbed out of the car. Joel started putting out fires as the rest of them went to the injured. Most of them were still conscious, just battered and scorched. Kelsey, with an injured man's arm over her shoulder, looked around at the destruction.

"What could have done this?" she asked. Jane found a woman cradling her badly burned right arm, and began treating it. Carter looked over his shoulder and paused. Jane couldn't see what he did being at a different angle, but she heard the screeching tires and guessed that it was Vypra.

Carter leaped to his feet and ran to the Rescue Rover. He hit the gas pedal and started away after the demon before the rest of his teammates even realized what he was doing.

"Carter!" Dana cried.

"Carter, wait!" Jane added, getting up. Then her patient grabbed Jane's wrist with a whimper of pain. She sat down with her again, slowly. Jane glanced across at Lucretzia who was just finished helping a man. She had a strange look in her eyes, and before Jane could say anything, Lucretzia took off sprinting from the scene.

"Luca!" Joel shouted after her.

"Lucretzia! Where are you going?!" Dana yelled.

"Should we go after her?" Chad questioned.

"We can't leave these injured people," Kelsey countered, standing up. "I'll go after her."

"No," Jane said firmly. The others stared at her. "Lucretzia started having flashbacks to when her ninja academy was attacked. She's trying to cope with losing Sensei Kurahara and the life she used to know. She just needs some space right now."

"I hope she'll be alright," Chad said as the others turned back to the injured citizens.

"So do I, Chad," Jane replied turning back to her patient once more. She also hoped Carter could catch Vypra on his own, but she seriously doubted it.

* * *

><p>Carter walked into the girls' quarters. Jane, Kelsey and Dana were all sitting on their beds, doing nothing. Lucretzia had yet to return to the Aquabase yet.<p>

"Captain Mitchell wants us at the transport bay now. Miss Fairweather has a surprise for us," the Red Ranger told them. The three girls got up and followed him out. Chad was standing in the hallway and they all walked towards the transport.

"Hey, what's going on?" Joel asked, skidding around a corner. They briefly stopped.

"Miss Fairweather has a surprise," Kelsey said. Joel's face began to light up.

"Oh **really**?" he said slowly. Jane frowned in confusion and looked at the other Rangers. Carter and Chad were smiling a little. With a quick adjustment of his cowboy hat, Joel followed them. Just then Luca came in, looking a little out of breath.

"Hey guys," she said, panting slightly. "Listen. I need to apologize for…"

"Don't worry about it, Luca," Jane told her, smiling sympathetically. "We understand what happened. Take as much time as you need to deal with this." The others all nodded in agreement. Luca smiled and then all seven Rangers walked into the transport, where Captain Mitchell was watching Miss Fairweather work at a computer.

"We're all here sir," Carter said. Joel actually arrived a second later, and leaned over to Chad.

"Remember: act surprised," he said. Chad made an exaggerated "right, right," face. Jane shook her head and Lucretzia rolled her eyes. Joel removed his hat, and Miss Fairweather came towards them.

"Every now and then, my job gets…personal," she said. Joel shoved Chad. "This is one of those times." Walking to another part of the room, she pulled a red lever. "It is my honor to present to you, the latest weapons in your arsenal."

A light came on in the glass-paneled room behind her, revealing seven motorcycles. They were each in a Ranger's color, with two rifle barrels each, and marked with the Lightspeed sigil. "My team has been working around the clock to build them for you. I think they will prove quite useful against Vypra. She'll never see you coming," Miss Fairweather finished. There was clear pride in her voice.

"Wow!" Kelsey breathed, coming over to the glass. "They're amazing!"

"Awesome!" Jane chimed in.

"Impressive," Carter said, before Jane had finished."But what are they?"

"These are your new Lightspeed Cycles. They are capable of supersonic speed and have the most advance weaponry systems," Miss Fairweather explained.

"Incredible!" Carter breathed.

"You're a genius, Miss Fairweather," Dana said admiringly.

"Vypra better look out," Chad said in a low voice.

"Joel? Joel?" Miss Fairweather asked. Everyone looked at him and the frown on his face. "You don't like them?" she asked.

"Oh, nah. They're great," he said, and put his hat back on.

"He thought you were building a—ouch!" Chad cried. Joel had stomped on his foot.

"Oh, sorry, Chad," Joel said between his teeth. Then Captain Mitchell's earpiece spoke up.

"Captain, red alert. The city is under attack," a man said. Captain Mitchell put up a hand.

"Vypra?" Carter asked.

"Monster. You have work to do," the Captain replied. The seven Rangers nodded and ran out.

* * *

><p>"Hahahaha! Prepare to feel the power of Elestomp!" the elephant-headed demon shouted, stomping a foot to make his point. He was in the park this time, and the seven friends had already morphed before arriving on the scene.<p>

Carter leaped on the demon, who threw him back with a laugh. Everyone gathered around him.

"Now prepare for my next trick, the trunk spelunker!" Elestomp shouted, planting his feet wide apart and plunging his trunk into the ground. The earth rippled upwards towards them like Bugs Bunny making a tunnel, and then the seven Rangers were all flung in different directions.

"Goodbye, Mariner Bay!" Elestomp cried, and did it again, shooting all the way towards a building. Jane and her friends charged, and he charged right back, plowing through them as easily as he'd gone through the dirt. He slammed Joel into a tree and threw him over his head.

"Joel!" Jane shouted. Everyone quickly gathered around the Green Ranger just as Elestomp fired lasers from his eyes directly at them. They were all thrown off their feet, though Carter sprang back up immediately.

"You can't stop me!" Elestomp taunted.

"We'll see about that! Rescue Bird!" Carter shouted. The Rescue Bird dropped into his hands, and he aimed it at the demon as the others took their positions behind the Red Ranger.

"Unilaser mode! Ready!" Carter shouted. The drill spun. They braced their feet. "Aim! Fire!" A direct hit. "See ya!" They all spun around as Elestomp bit the dust.

"Rangers!" Captain Mitchell interrupted. "She's back!"

"Let's show her what we've got," Carter said. Everyone saluted.

"Right!"

Jane soon learned why Miss Fairweather was so proud of the Rescue Cycles. They could turn on a dime, their engines hummed with power, and she was sure the side-mounted guns had perfect aim. The red glass on their fronts turned out to be siren lights, which all seven turned on as they tracked down the Vypari. Jane glanced at Luca who nodded. She knew that Lucretzia was probably smiling underneath her helmet, and Jane couldn't help but do the same.

Vypra was very surprised to see them. Jane saw her mouth the word "Rangers" as they zoomed towards her. The seven Rangers all parked in a row and revved their engines, just to give her an idea of what was coming.

"Fighting fire with fire, eh?" the demon called. "Prepare to get burned!"

"The only person getting burned is you, Vypra!" Luca shouted, gripping her handlebars tightly. Vypra growled and then she charged.

"Execute defensive maneuvers!" Carter ordered. "Now!"

"Right!" everyone shouted and hit the gas. Vypra fired at them, but missed every time. They swung out and away from the Vypari, then turned and came back towards it. Dana and Kelsey came up along either side of the demon, Luca was in front of her and Jane took the rear.

"Rescue Blasters!" Kelsey called, twirling hers.

"Ready?" Dana replied, drawing the gun. Jane flicked her Rescue Blaster out and Luca mirrored her.

"Am I ever!" Jane cried. The four girls all fired at once, and Vypra's shield crackled. She swerved, and Joel and Chad took up the chase. The demon swung around and began driving in reverse, so she could shoot at their teammates. This worked about as well as it had before—not at all.

"Right back at'cha!" Joel shouted, firing his own lasers.

"Fire!" Chad called, doing so. Vypra's shields were going down.

"I'll take it from here," Carter said. They both began right for each other. Vypra shot at him, but Carter's lasers actually hit all of hers in midair.

"Say goodbye, Vypra!" Carter shouted, drawing his Rescue Blaster. He shot out her roof-mounted cannons. Covered with blue electricity, the Vypari skidded away and crashed into a pile of boxes. Whooping, everyone joined Carter. Carter hopped off his Cycle and Luca hugged him. Laughing, he spun her around, hugging her back. Jane chanced a glance at Dana, who was silently staring at the two.

"You haven't seen the last of me or my Vypari!" Vypra yelled, pointing at them. Carter broke away from Lucretzia and faced the demon.

"You just don't learn do you, Vypra?!" he shouted.

"Oh, I've learned, but you'll wish you hadn't taught me," the demon retorted and then retreated. The seven Rangers cheered, shook hands and high-fived. Inside, Jane still wished she'd been able to personally take Vypra down, but the city was safe and that was enough. For now at least.

* * *

><p>Jane and Luca were walking past the transport when they saw Dana standing by the doorway. She waved them both over with a sneaky grin on her face.<p>

"Jane, Luca! Look!" she whispered. The two girls crept over and peeked around the corner. Joel and Miss Fairweather were talking.

"Okay, so?" Jane asked. Dana led them further back into the hallway where they couldn't hear the three girls.

"I think Joel is asking Miss Fairweather on a date," Dana whispered.

"A date?!" Jane exclaimed. Dana and Luca both shushed her and then the three tiptoed back to watch.

"On a date? What if I was, what would you say?" Joel asked. Miss Fairweather smiled, and took his arm.

"I say you are one of the most handsome, charming, courteous young men I know," she said, leading him away from them. They all crept down the passage after them.

"Then, you'll go out with me!" Joel breathed.

"Absolutely…not. It says in Lightspeed Regulation 322.1, there shall be not fraternization between squad members," Miss Fairweather said. Jane's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Joel groaned.

"The rulebook only goes up to 320," Jane whispered.

"You read the rulebook?" Dana asked.

"I _memorized_ the rulebook," Jane replied.

"What **don't** you memorize?" Luca giggled.

"Shut up!" Jane chuckled playfully.

"Well, if weren't for that silly rule, you and I would have a great time, huh?" Joel prodded. Miss Fairweather put a hand on his cheek.

"Oh, Joel! We'd paint the town red!" Miss Fairweather answered. Then she switched back to her familiar, businesslike tone. "Now, how about you take that Cycle out and give it a test run for me?"

"Sure," Joel said. On went the cowboy hat, and he wheeled the Cycle out. Dana, Lucretzia and Jane stepped into the room.

"I don't think that rule exists," Jane said to the scientist.

"And I know: there is no regulation 322.1," Dana added with a smile. Miss Fairweather cracked up.

"Yes. Well, perhaps there is in his case should be," Miss Fairweather said. The four young women all laughed this time as the Green Ranger soared through the streets of Mariner Bay on his Lightspeed Cycle.

* * *

><p>Please review<p> 


	7. Cyborg Rangers

A Shade of Orange

Cyborg Rangers

By Pink Lightpseed Ranger

* * *

><p>Another monster attack was going on. The sky had become dark and stormy, so I guessed that it was Strikning who was attacking. When I saw the demon, covered in spiky armor and wielding a staff with hornlike lightning bolts at the top, my suspicions were confirmed. There were dozens of Batlings there as well, chasing the civilians every which way.<p>

We'd morphed already, and began herding the terrified people past us.

"Batlings, attack!" Strikning cried, and they did. We all dove into battle with them, but Carter soon fought his way through the foot soldiers and engaged the monster himself. After a few strikes from the baton mode Rescue Blaster, the demon smacked him across the battlefield, and we all gathered around him.

"Power Rangers, I see you want more!" Strikning shouted, firing metal spikes from his chest. They pinged into the pavement at our feet. Before we could react, lightning streaked down and blew the spikes up, throwing us in the air. Colored lights exploded behind my eyes as I hit the ground, and I nearly blacked out.

"You Rangers are pathetic. You're no match for me!" Strikning shouted, coming closer. He kicked Carter over, planted his foot on the Red Ranger's chest and raised his staff. "Now, to finish what I came here for." Then he was blasted in chest and knocked down, skidding at least fifteen feet away from us. We all looked up.

"What's going on?" Carter asked, struggling to one knee.

"Where did that come from?" I added. I could hear gear noises, and synchronized footsteps.

"It can't be!" Strikning cried.

"Guys, look!" Carter shouted, pointing. Six Rangers in uniforms identical to ours strode forward. Well, not quite identical, now that I was paying attention. Their boots and gloves were all-black; there were little blinking bits of machinery on their chests and helmets.

"Do you know anything about other Rangers?" Kelsey asked, and Dana and I shook our heads.

"It's news to me, too," Carter said. Strikning was back up.

"I'll destroy you all!" Strikning cried, and the strange Rangers charged him. The new Rangers pummeled, kicked, and punched the monster. Their moves were strangely stiff, but they worked. "This isn't over," the demon cried. He vanished into a miniature tornado.

"Alright!" Carter cried.

"Yeah!" Dana shouted.

"Let's go meet them, come on!" I called, leading the way.

"Hey guys, those were incredible moves!" Chad said, as we reached our opposites. To our surprise, they walked right past us. "Wait, where are you going?" Then we heard a strange, smug male voice behind us.

"Hello." We turned, and saw a short, balding man in glasses. He was carrying a large remote control box, like a video game controller, and wore a grey coat with a red Lightspeed sigil on the left breast. The strange Rangers stopped next to him.

"Who are they?" Carter asked.

"They're the Cyborg Rangers," the man said.

"You mean they're robots?" I asked.

"Indeed they are. Return to base," he ordered the Cyborgs. They started away, and the man turned back to a black car behind him.

"Whoa, wait, what's going on?" Carter asked.

"Excuse me, we have to go," the man said, still oozing smugness. He got into the car—also with a red sigil on the doors—and drove away.

"That was amazing," Carter said, shaking his head.

* * *

><p>We rose up into the transport, still psyched about our new help. We'd spent the entire drive back coming up with plans to destroy the demons with our doubles. Captain Mitchell and Miss Fairweather were waiting for us, and though I noticed that they weren't smiling, I didn't pay it much attention.<p>

"Captain Mitchell, they're incredible!" Carter exclaimed.

"With the new Cyborgs on the team, pfft, Diabolico doesn't stand a chance!" Joel said. Then a gravelly male voice spoke up from the shadows.

"The Cyborgs aren't here to join you. They're here to replace you."

The speaker stepped out of the shadows. He was clearly a General, and an important one at that. His green jacket was covered in medals, and he gripped a swagger stick in one hand. I recognized him: General McKnight, the head man himself. Captain Mitchell had told us about him in debriefing. We exchanged bewildered looks.

"Replace us?" Carter asked. Captain Mitchell went to General McKnight's side.

"Sir, this is a mistake," he said, in a controlled but urgent tone.

"I don't think so, Captain. You saw them yourself. They saved these…kids. What were you thinking, Bill? They could never fight Diabolico and his evils," the General said.

"Meaning what, General Mcknow-it-all?" Joel asked, folding his arms. I cast him an alarmed look. That kind of talk to a general led to court martials.

"Yeah, you want to see how tough we are?" Kelsey added, stepping forward.

"Quiet!" Captain Mitchell ordered. Then the six Cyborg Rangers came around the corner, with their controller hovering nearby.

"You are relieved of your duties," General McKnight said to us. Two men brought out a metal case. One seized Carter's wrist to take his morpher, but Carter stopped him. The Red Ranger took off his morpher himself, and put it in the case. We all followed his lead reluctantly, Joel delaying the longest. One man snapped the case shut.

"The Cyborg Rangers are the future of Lightspeed Rescue. Diabolico won't know what hit him," General McKnight said, with a smile.

* * *

><p>I was in my quarters, trying to read my summer book again, but I couldn't concentrate. The others had gone out for a walk or something, but I hadn't felt like joining them. I didn't like being around others when I was miserable, especially if they were miserable, too.<p>

I'd learned the man who'd built the Cyborg Rangers was named Doctor Harlan. He'd taken them out when Strikning attacked again, and they were fighting right now. With a huff, I marked my place and started for Rescue Ops. They couldn't stop me from watching, could they?

As I walked to Rescue Ops, I noticed a lot of people running past me, looking grim. Something was up. I got there, and stopped in the doorway. On the screen, the six Cyborg Rangers were advancing on Dr. Harlan, who screamed in terror. They were scorched and battered, with patches of their uniforms torn open to expose their machinery. Strikning was nowhere to be seen.

"What are they doing?" General McKnight asked in consternation.

"Their circuitry is fried," Miss Fairweather said, and turned to the General. "You've got to stop them, General!" I looked over at the case containing our morphers, but it was guarded. Already deciding to take my Light Cycle, I turned and ran. My jacket was still on its hook when I got to the transport room, and I grabbed it.

The battle site was easy to find—smoke rose from it like a signal. I pulled over at the edge of the destruction, and took a minute to assess the situation. Doctor Harlan and his two assistants were being backed into a corner by the Cyborgs.

"Dr. Harlan, active self-destruct," Captain Mitchell ordered.

"Yes, right," the scientists said. He pushed a button frantically, but nothing happened. I was already running. "I can't destroy them!" He cried, and screamed as the Cyborg Rangers reached for him. I did a flip and landed between the scientist and his creations.

"Dr. Harlan, run. I'll follow you," I ordered, dropping into a fighting stance.

"Y-yes ma'am," the man stammered, and ran. I charged, leaping into the air and doing a full split to kick Red and Orange Cyborgs in the helmet. They staggered back as I landed, and I blocked Blue Cyborg's kick with my own. It felt like kicking a statue, and I staggered. The Yellow Cyborg punched me in the chest, and I fell flat on my back. This wasn't going to work.

Flipping back onto my feet, I ran to Doctor Harlan and his assistants.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at my limp.

"I'm fine, let's go," I panted. We all ran.

"Come on, Dr. Harlan," the fastest assistant urged. We turned a corner, and the doctor paused to rest.

Then three Cyborg Rangers burst through the wall, and we started running the other way. What was taking the others so long? Then Doctor Harlan tripped.

I ran back to him, and punched two oncoming Cyborg Rangers in the chest. They wobbled, and I swept their legs out from under them with a kick. Two more seized me by the arms and threw me into a wall. I hit my head with a clunk, and slid down to the ground, stunned.

Then I heard running footsteps, and was surrounded by bright spandex. Finally!

"Jane, are you okay? You can't take all of these Cyborgs on yourself," Dana said, pulling me up.

"I know!" I gasped, touching the growing bump on the back of my head. "I was just protecting Dr. Harlan until you guys got here. You came just in time."

"We'll take it from here," Carter said. He charged the Red Cyborg Ranger, and managed to knock him down. Visor knocked off, the Cyborg got back up.

"You Rangers are no match for Cyborg Rangers. You will all be terminated," the robot said.

"He's right. Nothing can stop them," Doctor Harlan said.

"You'd better hope you're wrong," Carter said. All six of us took fighting stances, but then we heard screeching tires. Turning, we saw Captain Mitchell in the Rescue Rover come around the corner. He stopped and stood up, holding our morphers.

"Carter!" My dad shouted, and threw the Red Ranger's morpher. Carter jumped, catching it and slapping it back onto his wrist. Dad threw the other five morphers, and we all caught ours.

"Time for some human power," Carter said, as we turned back to the Cyborg Rangers.

"Lightspeed Rescue!"

We all dove into the fight, energized from our morphs. We soon discovered that our doubles had been programmed with our exact moves.

A yellow ball of light grew out of Pink Cyborg's chest, and she threw it at Dana. My sister ducked, and started running up the side of the wall, shooting down at her opposite and hitting her chest piece. One Cyborg bit the dust.

Chad exchanged kicks with Cyborg Blue, and dropped back, clutching his shin.

"It's like kicking a steel door!" He said.

"Tell me about it," I replied, ducking a punch from Cyborg Orange. Joel's opposite stole his Rescue Blaster, but my teammate knocked it out of his hand.

"I don't think so," Joel said. Somersaulting, he grabbed his gun and fired as he kept spinning. Green Cyborg down. Kelsey jumped up onto a roof and drew her Rescue Blaster.

"Looking for me?" She shouted, and leaped down, firing at Yellow Cyborg. The robot collapsed, sparking. Chad kept kicking, dropped and did a leg sweep. Cyborg Blue went down and stayed down. The Red Rangers jumped through a wall. Carter had gone straight to Baton mode, again. It was starting to become his signature move.

"You're history!" He shouted to his opposite, slashing him so the robot staggered back. Twirling his Rescue Blaster around, Carter switched it to Blaster mode. "See ya, cyborg." He fired, and the Red Cyborg Ranger fell apart.

We all gathered up, winded but victorious, as Carter holstered his pistol.

"That's the end of that," the Red Ranger said. Then a very unwelcome voice spoke up.

"Aren't you forget something, you little power pests?" Strikning shouted. We whirled on him.

"The only pest around here is you, Strikning," I said.

"Yeah, and we're going to stomp you out!" Joel added, slamming his fist into his hand to punctuate his sentence.

"We'll see about that! Lightning spikes, away!" The demon cried, but we'd been expecting that. We all leaped away as the spikes exploded. Strikning was surprised.

"We're onto your tricks. Try one of ours!" Carter said. We all drew our Rescue Blasters, switching to Baton mode.

"Right!" We shouted, and jumped.

"What?" Strikning cried. Dana, Kelsey and I slashed at him, followed by Chad and Joel. Stepping back, we formed a square with our batons. Carter used it as a springboard to slam his baton end-first into Strikning's chest. The demon fell down, but soon struggled to his feet again.

"Why you, I oughta—" Carter cut him off.

"Time to finish this. Rescue Bird! Unilaser mode!" We all took our positions behind Carter and leveled the Rescue Bird at the demon.

"Uh-oh," Strikning said.

"Ready!" The guys shouted.

"Aim!" We girls replied.

"And fire!" Carter shouted. The laser struck Strikning, and he went down with a satisfying explosion.

"Yes!" Kelsey cried.

"All right, mission accomplished!" Carter said, and turned to go. Then, yet again, the remains of Strikning turned into bats, which re-formed him about ten times bigger than before. We weren't very surprised.

"Rail Rescues, on track!" Carter ordered immediately.

"All right, guys," he said after we'd gotten into our Zords, "Megazord mode, Lightspeed!"

"Lightspeed!" We all shouted, saluting.

Aqua Rescue 2 pulls up as Aero Rescue 3 hovers above it. The back of the lower Zord splits apart, and Aero Rescue 3's cable magnets drop and lock onto it. Aero Rescue 3 hauls Aqua Rescue 2 up to a vertical position. Haz Rescue 4 and Med Rescue 5 raise their back halves up on hydraulic lifts, becoming the Megazord's legs. Aero Rescue 3 lowers Aqua Rescue 2 onto them, forming the upper legs and waist of the Megazord. Pyro Rescue 1's back half splits open, becoming its arms, which it uses to pull itself onto the Megazord. Copter Rescue 6 splits in half and attaches to the Megazord's right arm. The sigil on the belt spins and locks into place with a hiss. The Megazord's head unfolds out of Aero Rescue 3 as the Zord descends onto Pyro Rescue 1.

Strikning roared and charged. We grappled with him for a few minutes. He landed chest hit, and as we staggered back, he fired some Lightning Spikes into the Megazord's chest.

"We've got to do something before the lightning hits us," Chad said, looking up at the stormy sky.

"I've got an idea. Ladder arms!" Carter ordered. They extended, grabbed Striking by the face, and held him up in the air. The lightning traveled up our ladder arm and fried him, like a lightning rod. We let go of the smoldering demon, and he fell with a moan.

"Megazord Saber, ignite!" Carter shouted. We slashed him from shoulder to hip and spun around as Strikning exploded.

* * *

><p>At the Aquabase, we were cautiously celebrating. We still weren't sure if we'd be back on duty yet.<p>

"That was great!" Chad said.

"We rock!" I cried.

"Ten hut!" Captain Mitchell said suddenly. We all stood at attention, as General McKnight came in. We saluted. He didn't look happy.

"At ease. I, uh, underestimated your capabilities and your heart. I, ah, apologize." He stopped pacing, and addressed us face-to-face. "Captain Mitchell made a wise choice. Six wises choices." We all saluted him again.

"Thank you, sir," Carter said. McKnight returned the salute and turned to Captain Mitchell.

"Captain, I won't interfere again. Carry on," he said. The two commanders saluted each other, and General McKnight left. Doctor Harlan's assistants led him out as well. We all burst into cheers.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	8. Up to the Challenge

A Shade of Orange

Up to the Challenge

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

* * *

><p>We arrived at the warehouse district in the Rail Rescue. A demon named Smogger had been attacking various places around the city, escaping before we could reach him. This time, we discovered the bottom half of a burning skyscraper sagging on its foundations.<p>

"Joel, Dana, you help the people outside. Chad, Jane you work on putting that fire out," Carter ordered.

"Right," we said, and went to our separate Zords. I flew over the building, and decided it was too weak-looking to risk water bombs.

"Kelsey, there are people trapped inside the parking structure. We've got to get them out," Carter said.

"Let's do it!" The Yellow Ranger replied. Haz Rescue 4 drove out of the Rail Rescue and into the building. "We're going in," Kelsey continued, as they vanished through the doorway in a gout of smoke. I activated my spray, and began circling above the burning building.

"I'll teach you how to break through a wall," Kelsey said. _What?_ "This is cool! Hold on," the Yellow Ranger continued. "Works every time!"

"Let's go," Carter said. "Looks like we got here just in time." Chad hosed the fire down with Aqua Rescue 3.

"Carter, we've got the fire under control," the Blue Ranger reported, as the last of the flames were smothered. The Haz Rescue drove back outside, and I could see Joel and Dana running to meet the other two Rangers as they carried the people they'd rescued out. We joined them.

"Great job, guys," Joel said.

"That was some stunt you pulled in there, Kelsey," Chad said.

"That old trick? That was nothing," the Yellow Ranger replied.

"Well, next time, tell us when you're going to do something crazy like that," Carter said, grabbing Kelsey in a headlock and grinding his knuckles into the side of her helmet. Laughing, she tried to get free, but couldn't. Then he paused.

A column of steam shot out of the ground in front of us, and formed into a demon. He was black and orange, with enormous round shoulders and a round mouth full of teeth. Well, well, Smogger was finally showing his ugly head.

"Playtime's over, Rangers!" He roared.

"What are you doing here, Smogger?" Carter demanded.

"Yeah," Joel added.

"This!" The demon cried, and we were all tackled from behind by Batlings. "I'm gonna have a ball!" Smogger shouted, bending over and turning into a giant ball. He started rolling away as we grappled with the Batlings.

"Chad, Kelsey, don't let him get away," Carter yelled.

"We're on it," Chad replied, and ran. I flipped a Batling over my shoulder and slammed an elbow into its chest. Dana ducked, and another foot soldier rolled off her back. Backflipping out of the fight, Joel punched an oncoming Batling in the chest, and it staggered back into another one. Carter kicked one in the face, and it spun in a circle before falling down. And that was the last of them.

"Let's go help Chad and Kelsey," I said, already breaking into a run. Carter and Joel quickly overtook and passed me. We came around a final corner, and stopped up short. Chad was sitting on the ground, unmorphed and cradling a limp Kelsey in his arms.

"Oh no, Kelsey!" Carter cried, darting forward. We all gathered around the two, and I let out a breath of relief when I saw that the Yellow Ranger was just unconscious. Dana and Joel picked her up.

"What happened?" Carter asked.

"Smogger ran into that building," Chad panted, and pointed to a burnt-out wreck, "Kelsey shot up the door and went in after him, but he filled the place with gas and made it explode." He winced and clutched his side, and I dropped down to check on him. Smogger was going to be a lot harder than most monsters.

* * *

><p>We were sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. Chad had gone inside Room 413 to check on Kelsey himself. He walked out, silent and sad.<p>

"This whole thing was my fault. I should have stopped her," he said, sitting down.

"Yeah, right," Joel said. "You know should know that nobody can stop that girl from doing anything once her mind's made up."

"And the doctor says she's going to be fine," Dana added. I put a hand on Chad's shoulder. Then Carter's morpher went off.

"Carter here," Carter said. Captain Mitchell's voice came through.

"We've located the Smogger. He's in the main street tunnel." My dad said. We ran outside to the Rescue Rover, but Chad stopped. There was a Batling standing behind a tree, gesturing for him to come closer.

Chad started towards it, but Carter stopped him.

"Wait. It might be a trap," Carter said.

"Don't worry. I'll deal with him. I'll meet up with you."

"I can come too, in case it is a trap," I offered. They both nodded. The Batling led us behind a truck, and held out a scroll to Chad. The Blue Ranger read it aloud.

"Blue Ranger, under the guidance of my new master, Vypra, I now have the skill to defeat you. I challenge you to fight me again. And this time, I will be the victor. –Brian," Chad said.

"Who?" I asked.

"The guy who was trying to pick a fight with me earlier, when I was teaching Kelsey tai chi," Chad said, shoving the note in his pocket.

"Let's go," I said.

"Right," Chad replied.

* * *

><p>We walked out of town to a wild, grassy place, the only sign of civilization being the cellphone tower nearby. As we reached the place, we saw a sandy-haired man standing before Vypra, both of them surrounded by Batlings. The Vypari was parked nearby, naturally.<p>

"Vypra! Let him go!" Chad shouted.

"Do as he says," I added. Vypra turned towards us with her usual smirk.

"Just in time. Orange Ranger, what are you doing here?" The demon asked, frowning.

"Just keeping the odds even," I said, glaring at the demon. She had beaten me alone twice, and I'd been itching to try again for ages.

"Very well," Vypra said, folding her arms. "I see you've met my new warrior." She nodded to Brian.

"Come on, Brian, I'm going to get you out of here," Chad said, looking to Brian.

"I'm not going anywhere! You're going to fight me," Brian roared. There was something weird-looking about his face, around the eyes, but I was too far away to tell what.

"No, you don't have to do this," Chad protested.

"Yes, he does. Get him!" Vypra cried. With a yell, Brian charged. Chad whirled around, avoiding the first few blows, but took several solid punches to the chest. He deflected several more and caught Brian's arms.

"Brian, stop this," Chad said. "I'm here to help you!"

"I don't need your help," Brian snarled, and threw the Blue Ranger back. They kept fighting. I watched them with one eye and Vypra with the other. I knew she didn't believe in fighting fair, and that it was only a matter of time before she cheated, in some way.

Then Brian flipped Chad on his back, and laughed as he got back up. Now I could tell that the other man's eyes were yellow. Chad's face was grim.

"You're coming with us," Chad said, pulling off his jacket, "Even if I have to do this the hard way." I caught his jacket as he threw it. Brian laughed, and they both went into their fighting stances.

Both of them were really, really good. They deflected some hits, flipped away from others, and spun around each other almost too quickly to see. Spinning around, Chad kicked Brian directly in the chest, throwing him back at least three yards. I grinned at Vypra's startled expression.

The other man got back up, and jumped back in with a vengeance. Leg sweeps, side flips, punches, chops and kicks, the two guys were in top form. Now I noticed how much Chad would spin, to give his hits more power. Whirling around, he planted a foot squarely in Brian's chest, and the man fell. Wheezing, he rolled away.

"Pathetic human, I should have known," Vypra said. Chad walked over to Brian, who scrambled back warily. The Blue Ranger held out a hand.

"It's over," he said. "Let's go."

Very, very slowly, Brian began to reach up towards Chad's hand. Then, Batlings seized the Blue Ranger by the arms and legs. I leaped forward to help, and was caught as well.

"Now, maybe you finish could finish the job," Vypra said, coming up behind the horrified Brian. "Do it!"

"What are you doing? This is my fight!" Brian protested.

"You dare defy me?" Vypra said in a dangerous tone.

"This isn't right," Brian persisted. Vypra hit him in the gut with the hilt of her sword, and he doubled over.

"Destroy him, or I will destroy you," the demon said, holding her sword over Brian. He nodded, and went back into a fighting stance. Chad struggled as he came closer, as did I, but to no avail.

"Brian, no!" Chad cried, as Brian clenched his right fist. With a howl, Brian punched, and Chad looked away. The punch took out the Batling holding Chad's left arm. Chad looked back at Brian, as the other man raised his head. Now his eyes were a clear blue, and he smiled.

A Batling started charging Brian from the rear. I swung my captors forward so their heads met with a clunk, as Chad shouted for Brian to look out. Somersaulting over the Batlings, I landed on the attacking one's back and knocked him down. All three of us began fighting the Batlings.

"What?" Vypra cried, as we tossed the last Batling aside.

"No one's going to tell me what to do anymore," Brian said.

"You will regret this, Rangers," the demon said, pointing her sword at Chad. She turned on her heel and went to the Vypari. I looked from her to Chad, and even though all I wanted to do was slam that creature's smug face into the hood of her car, I knew there wasn't time. The other Rangers were still fighting Smogger.

"Here, Chad," I said, handing the jacket to my friend. He put it on with one quick gesture, straightening the collar afterwards.

"Thanks, Chad. And I'm sorry for everything," Brian said.

"Forget it," Chad said, "Now you don't have to prove yourself to anyone." Brian smiled, and the two men shook hands.

"Guys, I hate to break this to you, but Chad, we have to help the Rangers," I said.

"Right, Jane," Chad said. We turned and began to run back towards the city. Brian waved.

"Good luck!" He called.

* * *

><p>We arrived as the other three—what was Kelsey doing here?—picked Carter up.<p>

"One wounded Ranger and three to go, piece of cake!" Smogger cried, advancing on them. Chad leaped into the air and kicked him three times on the chest. The demon fell down, and I attacked with a tornado kick from the other direction.

"Lightspeed Cycle!" Carter shouted, driving it towards us. Now there was a sidecar, and Chad had already gotten into it.

"Rescue Blaster!" The Blue Ranger said, drawing it. Carter fired the side-mounted guns and Chad the Blaster as they drove towards Smogger. I shielded my eyes from the explosions.

"Now we've got him," Carter said.

"Let's finish this!" Chad replied. They slammed into Smogger and didn't stop. With the demon trapped in front of them, the Rangers drove first through a wall of boxes, then in one side of a shed and out the other. The Light Cycle screeched to a halt, and Smogger flew off and exploded.

"Mission accomplished," Carter said, as we all saluted. I waited for the monster to grow, but he didn't. I let out a sigh of relief. Then Chad noticed Kelsey.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be in bed?" He asked.

"You should know me better than that," Kelsey replied.

"She has a point there," I said.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	9. Go Volcanic

A Shade of Orange

Go Volcanic

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

* * *

><p>Miss Fairweather and I walked into the weapons lab, where Dana was testing a new volcano radar.<p>

"Very impressive, Dana," Miss Fairweather said.

"Good job, sis," I said, happy that she could get it to work. I been trying earlier, but couldn't figure the thing out.

"But it will measure the volcano's activity?" Miss Fairweather asked.

"That I'll find out. Sis, are you coming?" Dana said, turning to me.

"Sure, I have nothing else to do." I said with a shrug. Dana packed up the volcano radar,

"We're heading up to Mt. Jasmine to see if we can get a reading." Dana said to Miss Fairweather.

"Dana, should we call Carter for the Rescue Rover?" I asked.

"I'll ask him," Dana said, and held her morpher up to her mouth. "Come in, Carter."

"Hey, Dana. What's up?" Carter asked.

"When you guys coming back to the Aquabase? We need the Rescue Rover to go to the volcano." Dana said.

"After a hotdog. I'm starving!" Joel exclaimed

"You're always hungry, Joel," I said.

"Not really!"

"Who's we?" Carter asked.

"I'm going with Dana," I replied.

"We'll be back soon," Carter said.

"Alright, see you." Dana said.

"I can give you two ride, if you like." Miss Fairweather suggested.

"We'll just take a bus. It will be an adventure," Dana replied.

"Good luck," Miss Fariweather said.

"Thanks," We both said at the same time. We laughed and started out.

* * *

><p>The bus stop was a tiny wooden building on the outskirts of town. We waited, Dana carrying the volcano radar.<p>

"This was a great idea, right, Jane?" Dana said.

"Right, Dana. The bus is here," I replied, pointing as the Mt. Jasmine bus came around the bend. It parked in front of us, and we climbed aboard. There weren't very many people on the bus. I noticed one particular man sitting near the front. He was dressed all in black, with sunglasses and a black knit hat, carrying a bag and giving everyone suspicious looks.

"Jane, is there something wrong?" Dana asked me. I started.

"Huh? No. I was look at him at the front. I think he's up to something," I said to my sister. I didn't look away from the man in black.

"I think so too," My sister said. The bus went on. Mount Jasmine rose up in front of us.

Then I heard a rumble, and felt the ground shake under the bus. It screeched to a halt.

"Dana, what happened?" I asked.

"I don't know, Jane." My sister.

"The volcano is starting to erupt. It's too dangerous. We have to go back," The bus driver said, turning around to speak to everyone in the bus. Then the man in black grabbed the driver by the shoulder.

"Wrong! We're not stopping," he snapped.

"You felt the earthquake, we have to turn around," an elderly woman protested, coming forward, but he threw her back to the floor. Dana and I jumped up and ran to her side.

"Who do you think you are?" my sister asked angrily.

"Yeah!" I added. I wanted my Rescue Blaster. Not to shoot him, but to make him back down.

"I'm the guy who's in charge, that's who," he said, and drew a gun. The other passengers cried out, and Dana and I exchanged a shocked look. "I don't want to use this, but I will. Now drive."

The bus driver started back for the mountain. Dana and I helped the old woman back into her seat, and sat down. I could tell my sister was as angry as I was.

"Sis, what should we do?" I whispered.

"Nothing yet," Dana hissed.

"But Dana, we're the Power Rangers, and we outnumber him. We can take him out, easy," I said.

"Too dangerous, Jane. There are people here," Dana said. I looked around at the other passengers.

"Right," I said, and gripped the railing in front of me with both hands.

"Hey, I know who you are," an old man said from the back. "You're Steve Harrison, you're wanted for armed robbery."

"Shut up!" Steve retorted, pointing his gun at the man. Now I could see the money in Steve's bag. I squeezed the metal pole so hard that my knuckles turned white.

We drove on. The shaking got worse, and even our hijacker began to look nervously at the mountain.

"Dana, Jane," Dad's voice came through Dana's morpher. We both started.

"Should we answer?" I whispered.

"We don't want him hear us," Dana replied, nodding towards Steve.

"There are reports of high activity in your area. You must return. Dana, Jane?" Dad said again. I covered Dana's morpher as Steve stormed over.

"I said no talking." Steve said, grabbing Dana by the collar and dragging her up.

"Dana!" I cried, springing up.

"Don't make me hurt you," Steve said to my sister. The bus driver twisted around in his seat. "Hey! Don't do you something you'll regret!" Steve yelled. Then Dana seized Steve's arm and flipped him to the floor. His gun fell out of his hand, and I ran after it.

Then the volcano really began to erupt. The bus swerved and skidded, throwing everyone out of their seats. We were on the bridge-and then the next second the front end of the bus was dangling over the edge, and we could all see how far down we were going to fall. Steve was too near the doors, and fell out with a cry. He managed to catch the edge of the steps just in time.

"Help!" He screamed

"Hang on, I'm coming." Dana called. Dana climbed down to him and grabbed his wrist. "Jane, I need your help!" She yelled.

"You got it, Dana!" I said, climbing down and catching Steve's other arm.

"Help me!" Steve cried.

"I got you," Dana said through her teeth. We couldn't pull him up.

"Don't let go," I said, bracing myself against a seat. My arms burned with the strain, and I could feel my feet slipping towards the doorway. The bus began to tip towards the chasm below, and Steve slipped back down. The jerk nearly pulled his arm out of my sweaty grip.

"Everybody get to the back," the driver ordered.

"Please, don't let go. Don't let go!" Steve begged.

"Never," Dana replied. I just tried to pull. Then a pair of arms wrapped around Dana's waist, and I saw it was the old woman Steve had knocked down earlier. The bus driver grabbed Steve's other wrist, and we began to drag him up. The other passengers ran to the back of the bus, which slowly began to level out.

The bus's back wheels hit the pavement, and we all fell back into the bus in a heap. For a second, we all just panted. Steve turned around and looked at Dana and me, and my sister nodded. Then Mt. Jasmine rumbled again, shaking the earth and throwing us all back into our seats. The driver landed on his shoulder and cried out in pain. Dana ran to him, as the bus began to slide off the bridge.

I looked out a window, and saw Aero Rescue 3 coming towards us.

"Dana, look!" I shouted, pointing. Dana looked up.

"Is that Joel?" She asked.

"I think so. Joel!" I yelled. The shadow of his Zord passed over the bus, and his cable magnets clanged into place on its roof. Carefully, he pulled us up and set us back on the road.

"Good job, Joel," Dana said. I let out a huge sigh of relief. My sister finished putting the bus driver's right arm in a sling.

"You always fly first class with me, girl," Joel replied. He landed, and joined the other three Rangers as they ran to the bus.

"Dana, Jane, is everyone okay?" Carter asked, as he charged inside.

"We are now, thanks to you guys," I said. Then the shaking started again. Dana ran back to our seat, and I reached her side as she checked the radar.

"The volcano is going to erupt any minute. We've got to stop it!" Dana said.

"We've got to get this bus out of here right away," Chad said.

"I can't drive. My shoulder," the driver groaned.

"Better come take a look at this," Chad said to Dana and me. I looked to my sister; she'd treated the injury. She shook her head.

"We have to do something. Does anyone here know how to drive a bus?" Carter asked. Quietly, Steve stood up, pulling off his sunglasses.

"I used to be a bus driver," he said, removing his hat as well.

"You aren't driving my bus! You belong in jail!" The driver protested.

"He had a gun!" The old woman added.

"What? You've gotta be kidding me," Joel cried, startled.

"Well, we're not letting him drive," Carter said.

"Wait. Like or not, we have to trust him," Dana said.

"We don't have any choice," I added.

"You can trust me," Steve said, taking off his hat. With his gun, he shoved it into his bag. Turning, he nodded to Dana, me, the old woman and the bus driver.

"Okay then. Let's go," Carter said. Dana packed her stuff and we left. The bus drove away, Dana and I smiled at it, and then Mt. Jasmine rumbled again, as if to remind us what was important right now. "Come on. There's no time to waste."

We ran. Carter and Chad led the way, Joel and Kelsey moved ahead of us, and Dana and I were in the back. We hadn't morphed yet, but we quickly fixed that problem.

"Lightspeed Rescue!" We shouted, and morphed.

The run up the mountain was thankfully quick. We stopped at an open cave, out of which hot steam poured.

"This looks like the way in," Carter said, as Dana began unzipping the volcano radar's bag.

"Wait. Let me take a reading first," Dana said, and held up the volcano radar. "It looks like something is causing the volcano's activity. Let's go, guys!"

"Right!" Carter replied, and we all ran inside-Dana putting away the radar first. It didn't take long for us to find the cause of the activity.

"Look, there he is!" Joel said, rounding a corner. We reached Joel's side to see a monster with three draconic heads standing there, looking surprised to see us. His name was on the tip of my tongue. Triflame? Dragoblast?

"Rescue Blasters!" Carter ordered, and we fired at the demon. The monster charged, seized Carter and threw him out of the cave. We ran to the Red Ranger's side.

"Carter!" Chad cried.

"You okay?" Dana asked, helping him up. He was.

"You're too late! Say goodbye to your precious city!" The demon cried.

"Obviously you have no idea who you're dealing with," I said. "Orange Ranger, Rescue Ready!"

"Pink Ranger, Rescue Ready!"

"Red Ranger, Rescue Ready!"

"Blue Ranger, Rescue Ready!"

"Green Ranger, Rescue Ready!"

"Yellow Ranger, Rescue Ready!"

"Lightspeed Rescue! Hi-ya!" We all shouted. The demon responded by breathing fire at us. We all rolled aside, and Kelsey was the first one up. As she sprang into the air, the demon blasted her with his hot breath, and she fell.

"Oh no, Kelsey! Are you okay?" Chad asked, helping her up.

"I'm fine, but now I know how a burnt marshmallow feels!" Kelsey laughed shakily.

"Girl, you're crazier than me!" Joel replied, giving her a smack on the helmet.

"There's no way we can get close enough until we put out that flame," Chad said, looking to Carter.

"That's exactly what I was planning to do. Dana, and Jane, are you with me?" Carter asked, drawing his Rescue Blaster and switching it out of laser mode.

"You bet we are!" Dana replied, as we drew our Blasters. We girls fired and the demon blasted fire at all three of us. We somersaulted out of the way, and Carter fired from the ground. His extinguisher mode hit the demon right in the mouth, and the creature yelled.

Getting up, Carter kept blasting the demon until his flames died out completely.

"It's time to put an end to this!" Carter said, and began assembling the Rescue Bird. We took our positions. "Unilaser!"

"Ready!" Joel and Chad shouted from Carter's right.

"Aim!" Dana, Kelsey and I responded from the left.

"And fire!" Carter finished. For a fire demon, the creature's explosion wasn't much bigger than normal.

Then it happened again. A giant three-headed demon loomed over us.

"Rescue Zords, mobilize!" Carter ordered. We all leaped into the Zords as they arrived, and started the Megazord formation without even being told to.

The two titans charged, grabbing each other's arms. Then we flipped the demon's arms away and smacked him in the chest. We exchanged punches with the monster, until he decided to try biting the Megazord's left arm. With a punch, we knocked him loose.

"Lightspeed ladder arms," Carter ordered. Our fists slammed into the ground, and we did the Lightspeed flip kick. The demon fell back, but turned around and blasted us with fire as we advanced on him.

"Chad, we need to douse that fire," Carter said.

"You got it. Water cannons, extinguish!" Chad ordered. The cannons on the Megazord's forearms fired, blasting the demon directly in all three of his faces.

"Lightspeed Megazord Saber! And ignite!" Carter ordered. Just like always, one blow from the Megazord Saber, and the monster was down for the count.

"Mission accomplished!" Carter said. Then I remembered.

"Oh, Trifire!" I exclaimed, and smacked my helmet.

"What?" Dana asked.

"That was the demon's name. I can't believe I couldn't remember it before!" I cried. The others laughed.

* * *

><p>Back at the bus, which Steve had brought back to town safely, everybody was shaking our hands and thanking us. I loved this part of the job probably the most.<p>

"We're all indebted to you. You saved all of Mariner Bay," the bus driver said.

"Thank you, sir," Carter said. I looked over at Steve.

"And you," I said. Dana smiled.

"You're a hero," my sister said.

"Me?" Steve asked in surprise, and we nodded. "I just did what's right."

"Doing the right thing is half the battle," the bus driver replied.

"And if you keep doing what is right, you're home free," the old woman finished. She was carrying Steve's bag on her arm.

"Thank you. All of you," Steve said, and looked at Dana and me. "Especially you two. You saved my life." Then we heard sirens. A police car pulled up, and I remembered: wanted for armed robbery. I bit my lip as the pair of officers approached.

"Steve Harrison?" The policeman asked.

"That's me," Steve said.

"You're under arrest," the officer said, and his fellow took out a pair of handcuffs. Dana and I quickly stepped forward.

"Officer, whatever he did wrong, you should know that he saved these people," Dana said. Everyone who had been on the bus nodded. The old woman handed Steve's bag to the first policeman, and his companion let go of Steve's wrist.

"Thank you for letting me know," he said. They began to lead Steve to the squad car.

"Wait," Steve said, and they paused. He looked back to us. "Don't worry. I am not afraid to pay to what I did wrong. For now on, my life is going to be a lot different." We smiled, and he climbed into the back of the police car. Carter put his hands on Dana's shoulders, and I gave them a raised eyebrow. Interesting.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	10. Rising From the Ashes

A Shade of Orange

Rising From the Ashes

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

* * *

><p>The alarm went off. We all jumped.<p>

We ran to the Zord bay without a word. Miss Fairweather had taken the Rescue Rover on an expedition for something, so we didn't even bother. The only abnormal activity was from some collapsing rock formations outside of town. We formed the Megazord and began looking around.

"Anybody see anything?" Chad asked.

"Guys, the volcano," Carter said, as we swung around. With a hiss of steam, an all-too-familiar monster rose out of a gap.

"Magmavore again?" Joel asked. It was Magmavore, this time wielding a massive club.

"Guess he didn't learn his lesson the last time," Carter said, and we swung the Megazord Saber. Magmavore roared and ran to meet us. We passed each other, each scoring a hit. As we swung around, though, Magmavore brought his club down on the Megazord Saber. It clanged to the ground in two pieces.

"Oh no, our Saber!" Carter cried.

"It's impossible," Captain Mitchell said very softly. Then Magmavore whacked us across the chest, and we fell down. Scrambling back to our seats, we saw Magmavore turn and walk away. Red rays of light shot from his eyes, and a heap of rocks swirled up into a column of liquid lava. We finally got the Megazord back on its feet again.

"Oh no, Trifire's back too!" Carter cried.

"You haven't got a chance against the two of us!" Trifire roared, and they both charged. Magmavore hit us again, right in the chest, and we staggered back.

"We've had enough of you. Lightspeed ladder arms!" Carter shouted. We seized each monster by the throat, but they grabbed the arms, picked us up and slammed us into the ground. Then they blasted us. The ground split open beneath the Megazord's feet, and before we could react, the entire robot fell into a chasm.

Rangers, evacuate the Megazord," Captain Mitchell ordered.

"Evacuate?" Carter protested.

"You've got to be kidding!" Chad protested.

"Listen. Something has happened to Miss Fairweather and her team," Captain Mitchell said.

"Miss Fairweather?" Joel said in dismay.

"You've got to find her if we are to save the Megazord," my dad finished.

"We're there!" Joel cried.

* * *

><p>We ran to the cave Miss Fairweather had been investigating, Joel far in the lead. The Rescue Rover was parked outside.<p>

"I don't see anybody," I panted.

"No one's there," Joel said. We looked over the Rescue Rover, but it was empty. Then two battered people came out from behind a tree. We ran over. They were two of Miss Fairweather's assistants, Vincent and a woman whose name I didn't know.

"What happened?" Carter asked, as we helped them sit.

"The cave collapsed and Miss Fairweather's trapped inside," Vincent said.

"We have to go find her," Joel said. Then I heard a very unwelcome sound.

"Guys, we've got company," I said, as we turned around to see a gang of Batlings. We charged. Kelsey kicked. Carter punched and elbowed. Joel lost his hat. Dana kicked against the Rescue Rover, but Vincent kicked the Batling back. Chad spun and kicked the Batlings away. I swept one's legs out from under it. Joel grabbed his hat.

"You guys handle this, I'll go to the cave," Joel said.

"Go!" Carter shouted, and Joel ran.

"Ready! Lightspeed Rescue!" We shouted.

"Let's do it!" Carter shouted, and we charged back in. Carter drew his Rescue Blaster, setting it to Baton Mode immediately. He and Chad began tackling the last few Batlings. I saw the female assistant crumple, and caught her before she hit the ground. Dana was already helping Vincent into the back of the Rescue Rover, with Kelsey guarding her back. I threw the woman's arm over my shoulder and half-carried her over.

I heard a screech, and was grabbed from behind by a Batling. Then I heard Chad shout, and the Batling was kicked to the ground.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem," Chad replied, taking the scientist's other arm and helping us to the Rescue Rover. Carter cut the last Batling down, and ran to us.

"Great job, guys. Now let's go help Joel," Carter said.

"Too late," came Joel's voice from behind us.

"Joel!" Carter shouted, turning. Joel was standing right there, with a battered Miss Fairweather's arm over his shoulder. She looked different without her glasses. Younger, maybe?

"Miss Fairweather! Joel!" Dana cried, as we all ran to them.

"Are you alright?" I asked, as Carter took Miss Fairweather's other arm and helped her walk.

"I'll be okay. You've got to get back to the Megazord. Reserve power should be back online," she said, climbing into the Rescue Rover.

"What are you going to do?" Carter asked.

"I have a plan, but you have to buy us time," Miss Fairweather replied.

"We'll do it," Joel said. After a pause, Miss Fairweather smiled at him. Then she drove the Rescue Rover away.

"Good work, Joel," I said.

"Let's go," Carter said.

The chasm wasn't far away. I could see the Megazord lying face-down inside it. We came around a bend, and a swarm of Batlings was already there waiting for us. There weren't more than five, and we defeated them quickly. We rappelled down to the Megazord, and climbed inside our cockpits. The lights came on as we inserted our Rescue Blasters.

"Systems are back online," Carter said. "Let's get out of here!"

The Megazord stood up, and jumped right out of the chasm. Magmavore and Trifire rose up out of the ground, and opened fire at once. We took another hit and wobbled.

"Megazord Shield!" Carter ordered. The blades of Copter Rescue 6 spun, blurred together and formed the Shield. We threw it at Trifire, knocking him down and sending it right back into our grasp.

"We've got to stay on our feet!" Carter cried. Raising an arm, we punched Magmavore and hit him with our opposite elbow twice. Trifire came up behind us, and we ducked just in the nick of time. Magmavore's blast hit the other monster, who roared in anger. But then they went right back to pounding us. We caught some of their hits on the Shield, but took far too many hits.

Panels exploded inside our cockpits, and I was briefly blinded by a flash of sparks. The Megazord staggered back. We dropped the Shield with a clang. Then Miss Fairweather's voice came on.

"Rangers, break down the Megazord."

"We can't retreat now!" Carter protested.

"You aren't retreating," Captain Mitchell said. "Just do it!"

"Let's do it!" Carter said. We split apart, folded back together, and all the Zords but Aero Rescue 3 and mine dropped to the ground. The Rail Rescues were there, and we drove or flew back into them.

"We're back! Locked on," Carter said, as we hopped back into the group cockpit in the front of the train, and attached our Rescue Blasters.

"Carter! Full power!" Miss Fairweather shouted.

"Alright. Engines to full power!" Carter ordered. I felt the rumble, and the Rail Rescue began to move forward. The road ahead of us split open down the middle, and a train track rose up in its place. And up. And up and up until it slanted high into the sky.

"Super Thrusters," Carter said, and the train sped up. _Whatever you're doing, Miss Fairweather, I hope you've tested it. A lot._ We shot up the rails like they were a roller coaster.

"Approaching lightspeed," Chad said.

"Yeah, baby!" Joel laughed. Kelsey, Dana and I just hung on for dear life. I felt us fly off the tracks and into the air.

"Hold on, guys," Carter said. His screen lit up. "Super train systems ready! Transform!" He exclaimed. He twisted a sigil-marked knob, and I heard the couplings open.

The trains spread apart, mine and Chad's in front, Carter and Joel's in the middle, Kelsey and Dana in the back.

"Begin assembly," Miss Fairweather said. The front ends of my and Chad's trains flew off, revealing a pair of silver fists. The pieces joined onto the back.

"Four and five, engage!" Carter ordered. The front ends of Dana and Kelsey's Zords unfolded upwards, becoming feet. Joel and Carter's trains joined together, the front pieces attaching near the back.

"Two and six, in position," Carter said. Kelsey and Dana attached to the bottom, Chad and I the top. A head unfolded from the Megazord.

"Cool!" Kelsey exclaimed.

"Yeah it is!" Joel said. We dropped out of the sky, heading for the train tracks.

"Rangers, this is your new Super Train Megazord," Miss Fairweather said. We touched down, still full speed ahead, and whooped and cheered.

"This is awesome!" Carter said.

"It's so high-tech!" Dana cried.

"They won't be expecting this," I said gleefully. We returned to the battlefield.

"What?" Trifire cried. Magmavore let out a confused rumble, and no wonder. The Super Train Megazord was at least twice as tall as the pair.

"I'm getting bored. Let's get this over with!" Trifire cried.

"As you wish!" I cried.

"Gatling Blasters!" Carter ordered. "This should break your boredom! Engines, full power!" Something began to spin with an electric whine. "All right. Missiles, online!" A panel opened up on the Megazord's left shoulder. "And...fire!"

Carter hit the button. Then blue lightning arced through the cockpit. We all yelled in pain, but the Gatling Blasters on my side and the Missiles on Chad's all fired. Trifire got both guns, and exploded in seconds.

"We had some sort of power surge here," Carter managed. "What happened?"

"It was an overload," Miss Fairweather said. She didn't sound happy anymore.

Magmavore roared and charged again. Say what you will about these monsters, they aren't cowards.

"We've got to keep fighting!" Kelsey cried.

"And we will," Carter replied. "Got any ideas back there?" There was a frightening pause.

"Switch weapons to turbines," Miss Fairweather said.

"Switching weapons' power source," Carter said. "Turbines, supercharge!" _How did he always know what to say? Did his screen have a teleprompter?_

The fronts of my and Chad's trains flew off the shoulders and back to their original places. We raised the Megazord's right arm, and it began to glow gold. Not more blue lightning. My fingers and toes were going numb from all the shocks, and every nerve in my body tingled.

"Weapons fully charged," Carter said over the noise. "Turbines, fire!" We did, a fiery golden blast from the right and a volley of smoking missiles from the left. Magmavore dropped his club and fell flat on his face, exploding into a swarm of fireballs. They flew every which way and disappeared.

"We did it!" Carter cried.

The top of Mt. Jasmine, which we'd only just stopped from erupting, blew off.

"The volcano's erupting!" Dana cried.

"The Super Train has freeze missiles," Miss Fairweather said quickly. "You've got to use them."

"Freeze missiles? Sounds cool," Carter said. Pun probably intended. He raised the Megazord's left arm. "Locked on. Fire!"

The freeze missiles shot away towards the volcano. There was a white explosion, and then the entire mountain was covered in blue ice.

"The freeze missiles did it!" I said, even though it was pretty obvious. I felt shaky and lightheaded from all the lightning, but really good. We had new, shiny toys, why wouldn't I be happy?

* * *

><p>We Rangers, except for Joel, were in the galley, seated at a table with Miss Fairweather. After years of military non-decorating, the china, tablecloth and candles made it feel ridiculously formal. I even remembered some old etiquette rules like the right way to hold a fork, and to put my napkin on my lap.<p>

The door opened, and we saw Joel standing there, wearing a black suit, black cowboy hat and a huge grin. He was carrying a bouquet. The look on his face when he saw all of us seated there was hilarious. We all cracked up, except for Miss Fairweather. She looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Joel. Did you think it would be just you and me?" She asked.

"Uhhhhh...ff course not," Joel said. I could tell he was disappointed. He turned to go, but Carter got up. Still laughing, he grabbed Joel by the arm and steered him back inside.

"Oh no," he said, and we all joined him in pulling the Green Ranger to the table.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	11. From Deep In the Shadows

A Shade of Orange

From Deep In the Shadows

By Pink Lightpseed Ranger

* * *

><p>Carter was standing in a glass room, wearing Miss Fairweather's newest invention-the Titanium morpher. He was hooked up to various monitors.<p>

"Here we go," Miss Fairweather said. We were watching from the control room. Joel arrived just in the time.

"Titanium Power," Carter said through the Titanium Morpher. We saw blue and red electricity start shooting through his body. Carter tried to keep it together, switching back and forth between normal form and the new morph, but he couldn't do it. He fell to his knees, and it stopped. We ran inside.

"Carter, are you okay?" Miss Fairweather asked through the microphone.

"I got you," Joel said, as we reached him. He was exhausted from the test.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Carter said to Miss Fairweather.

* * *

><p>I knocked on Dad's door. Dana was standing beside me, carrying a birthday cake.<p>

"Come in," our dad said. The door opened, and Dad looked up at us in bewilderment.

"It's us, Dad," Dana said.

"Dana, Jane, it's midnight. I can't believe that you two remembered," he said with surprise, as we brought the cake over. Dana set it down, and I pulled out the box of matches and passed it to her.

"Well, we were too young to remember much about our big brother. But we do know that Ryan would been 20 today. So we'll celebrate, like we always do," Dana said, touching the match to the candles.

"Come on, we all have to make a wish," I added. Captain Mitchell, Dana, and I blew out the candles.

"What do you two wish for?" Dad asked us. Dana folded her arms and walked over to the big fish tank in the wall.

"I thought we wished for the same thing. That the car crash never happened, and Ryan was here." Dana said.

"We can't change the past, can't we? I have another wish. I wish what ever happens, you two always know that I love you both," Our dad said to us. We group hugged and smiled, though I could tell that he was still sad.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the Aquabase alarms started bleeping. We drove straight to the scene-a warehouse-and went inside. I recognized that laugh: Vypra. The demon came down the stairs and looked around.<p>

"Next target," Vypra said. She was about to fire, when we shot at her and her set of Batlings. They were taken compmletely by surprise.

"There won't be a next target this time, Vypra!" Carter shouted, as we holstered our Rescue Blasters.

"Get out of here!" I added.

"It's only a matter of time before Mariner Bay falls to my elder brother, Diabolico." Vypra said.

"I know when that will be. Never!" Joel said.

"Wait, you're Queen Bansheera's kid too? How many more siblings do you have?" I asked.

"Two more brothers, one sister," Vypra said. "Attack!"

We fought. Chad kicked a Batling and punched him in the chest. Dana and I drew our Blasters again and shot two more. Kelsey ducked and swept another's legs out from under it. Somersaulting, Joel let two run into each other. Carter was dueling Vypra.

"We're not telling you again. Get out of Mariner Bay!" Carter said.

"Yeah, forever!" Kelsey added.

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away. This is the moment I've been waiting for. The moment you meet your match," Vypra said. Then a cloud of evil magic appeared in the ceiling, making the ground shake. A glowing white figure descended from it, becoming a person as its feet touched the ground. He was-

"Carter, the Titanium Ranger," I said to the Red Ranger.

"It can't be. No one has access to the morpher," Carter protested.

"Who are you?" My sister asked the stranger.

"I'm your worst nightmare," The Titanium Ranger said, walking towards us. We backed up.

"Stop right there," Kelsey said.

"We don't any trouble," Chad added.

"Well, you got it," The Titanium Ranger said, drawing a gun and shooting at us. We were all thrown off our feet, and then the Titanium Ranger as among us, attacking hand-to-hand. Joel was kicked in the stomach and fell back into a pile of crates. The evil Ranger swept Dana and me off our feet, flipped over and landed both legs on our stomachs. I gasped for breath as he laughed.

"That's enough," Carter said charging. The Titanium Ranger punched him rapidly in the stomach, throwing him back with a shower of sparks.

"Hurry, guys. We're just not equipped to fight him like this." Carter said, as we ran outside. The Titanium Ranger followed. "Alright. Rescue Bird!" The Rescue Bird came, and we took our positions.

"Stop right there," Carter said. The Titanium Ranger only began rearranging his weapon, changing it from a blaster to an axe. "I warned you," Carter said, and we blasted him with the Rescue Bird. But the Titanium Ranger caught the lasers on his axe, which absorbed them. "What?"

"He survived? Impossible," I protested. The Titanium Ranger swung the axe around, and sent our own fire back at us. I landed on my side, and doubled over in pain.

"Why?" Carter groaned to the Titanium Ranger, who only laughed. We struggled to our feet again, and Captain Mitchell called.

"Carter, break off the attack," he said. At least, that was what I thought he said-I couldn't hear him very well.

"What was that?" Carter asked my dad.

"I said, get out of there. Now!" Captain Mitchell ordered. Joel started to charge.

"Get him!" Joel cried, but Carter stopped him.

"Joel, wait. Captain says we have to pull out," Carter said to Joel. He turned to the Titanium Ranger. "This isn't over!" We had to retreat-for now.

"On that much, we agree. It won't be over until you've all been destroyed," The Titanium Ranger said. We returned to the Aquabase.

* * *

><p>Miss Fairweather was waiting for us in the meeting room. She quickly explained that last night, the Titanium Morpher had disappeared, right out of Captain Mitchell's safe.<p>

"Stolen from the captain's safe?" Chad asked incredulously.

"Then it have to be someone from Lightspeed," Kelsey said.

"Yeah. But no one would do that," Joel said.

"Who else?" I asked, as my Dad came inside. We all sat down.

"Alright. No matter who it was, the fact remains that Diabolico has the morpher and Titanium powers. We've got to get it back. Fast," My dad said. We looked to Miss Fairweather, who'd built the morpher.

"That won't be easy," she said, shaking her head. Not good.

* * *

><p>Our new mission was to find the Titanium moprher and bring it back to my dad, so we'd split up into pairs and were combing the city. I was with Joel.<p>

"Everything's quiet," the Green Ranger said, and I nodded. Then we heard our morphers bleeping. It was Chad.

_"Let's meet downtown." _Chad said. We nodded and went immediately. Joel and I came from one direction, and the Rescue Rover with the other four arrived from the other.

The Titanium Ranger stood in the middle of a smoldering crater, laughing with his back to us. We formed a line behind him.

"Who are you?" Carter asked him.

"It doesn't matter anymore," the Titanium Ranger replied, not turning. That was...odd.

"Man, we don't want to have to hurt you," Joel said. Now the Titanium Ranger turned.

"Hurt me? Your pathetic powers are no match for my Titanium powers," He laughed.

"Let's go, guys," Carter said.

"Lightspeed Rescue!" We shouted and morphed, dropping into our fighting stances.

"Don't make us do something that we don't want to do," Carter said.

"Give your best shot," the evil Ranger retorted. We charged with shouts.

The Titanium Ranger tore through us almost too quickly to see. Before I even knew what was happening, I was flat on my back with Chad flying over my head. The Titanium Ranger laughed and charged back in. We got up and moved to a nearby car. The added height wasn't much of an advantage, but it was better than nothing. Of course, I thought as I was flipped to the ground, that meant a longer drop-ow.

"Titanium Laser!" He somersaulted over our heads and and fired it. Joel and Kelsey leaped off the car, but it exploded, throwing all of us to the ground. We lay there for a minute, catching our breath.

"Carter," Miss Fairweather said.

"I read you," Carter replied.

"Activate V-Lancers," Miss Fairweather said.

"You got it. V-Lancers!" Carter said, and a red V appeared in his hand. It became, well, a lance, one end gold and the other silver, with a large red V right at the center.

"Defend!" We said together. Our V-Lancers appeared in our hands, each in our color as usual.

"Excellent!" Chad said.

"These things rock!" Kelsey added.

"You said it, Kelsey," I said.

"Good one, Miss F," Joel said into his communicator.

"Let's try these bad boys out," Carter said. The Titanium Ranger began towards us again.

"Power Rangers Lightspeed!" We said, twisting our V-Lancers.

Carter charged, but the Titanium Ranger dodged his attack, doing the same for us girls. He tried to kick Chad, but Chad dodged his attack. Catching both Joel and Chad's V-Lancers on his Titanium Laser, he growled with anger. We girls tried to hit him from behind, but he twisted around and caught them on Chad's V-Lancer. Then Carter came in, catching the Titanium Laser on his V-Lancer and throwing it on the ground. The Titanium Ranger was surrounded.

The evil Ranger grabbed Kelsey and Joel's V-Lancers and twisted around, when Carter and Dana struck him with theirs. Dana and I hit him in the stomach, and Joel and Kelsey flipped him over. Following Dana's lead, Kelsey slashed him across the stomach. I got in a hit myself. The Titanium Ranger flipped away from us, and looked to his fallen Titanium Laser.

"Don't do it," Carter said. The evil Ranger ran for his weapon.

"Rangers, go to Blaster Mode," Miss Fairweather said to us.

"You got it. V-Lancer, Blaster Mode." Carter said. We flipped the front halves of the V-Lancer back, transforming them into guns. "V-Lancer, Spiral Blast." We shot him, and he went down.

"That did it," Carter said. Then the Titanium Ranger bot back up. No way! "I don't believe it. He's coming back. Nothing could survive that!"

"Stand down before this escalates. Don't force us to destroy you," Carter said.

"Energy level 10." Miss Fairweather ordered. We aimed the V-Lancers at the oncoming Titanium Ranger. Limping, he pointed his Titanium Laser at us. His visor was gone, leaving only his lower face guard under his helmet. He looked human.

"Full power!" Carter said. "Lock on. Target locked!"

"_Don't fire!_" My dad shouted. I couldn't believe it.

"What? Please repeat, sir," Carter said.

"Hold your fire!" Captain Mitchell said urgently.

"What's he talking about?" Chad asked.

"But sir, this is our chance to finish him!" Kelsey protested.

"Don't shoot," Captain Mitchell ordered.

"Alright. V-Lancers," Carter said, and we lowered our weapons.

"Please," My dad said softly. This was just getting weirder and weirder. The Titanium Ranger dropped to one knee, clearly in pain but still eager to attack us.

"Power down. Let's go," Carter said, and we started back to the Rescue Rover.

"We're not finished! Come back!" The Titanium Ranger protested, trying to get up and failing. Carter looked back at him one more time, and we headed for the Aquabase.

* * *

><p>Captain Mitchell was waiting in the meeting room with his back to the door.<p>

"Retreat? Sir, we had him," Carter said.

"Now he knows we have the V-Lancers," Chad said.

"That was our chance. Maybe our only chance," Kelsey added. Captain Mitchell didn't say anything.

"Why sir? Why did you stop us?" Carter asked. Slowly, Captain Mitchell turned around.

"Because, he's my son." My dad said. Dana and I exchanged a wide-eyed glance. Ryan?

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	12. Truth Discovered

A Shade of Orange

Truth Discovered

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

* * *

><p>"That's why I stopped you. I couldn't let you destroy my son," Captain Mitchell said.<p>

"How can that be?" Dana protested.

"Ryan was killed in that car crash," I added.

"Dana, Jane, he wasn't." Captain Mitchell turned away from us. "It was late. It was pouring rain. You two, Ryan and I were coming home from visiting your grandmother. You three were in the back seat playing with the new toys she have given you. There was a truck coming from the other direction. I only looked away for a second. And then it all happened so fast." He paused. I'd only heard this story a few times, and wondered where it was going to change.

"We rolled over the cliff, and I found myself hanging on to a root. You were holding on to my neck, Dana, and Jane was pinned between us, but Ryan was holding on by my foot. He was slipping." This was the only part I could remember, and it was vague. I remembered being soaking wet, squished between Dad and Dana, and that my leg hurt where I'd scraped it. "I yelled for help, and then he appeared. Diabolico. He offered to help, in exchange for Ryan, and I told him to go away at first. Then Ryan slipped. I shouted for Diabolico to save him, and he did. Diabolico took Ryan away, after saying I would see him again on his twentieth birthday."

We were silent. What was there to say? I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.

"And, today is his twentieth birthday," Dana said quietly.

"Sir, we won't fight him. And we'll do what we can to help get him back," Carter said.

* * *

><p>Our teammates gave us space, knowing that we needed it. I couldn't stop thinking about the Titanium Ranger. He'd mopped the floor with us, knowing we were his family, and laughed the whole time. How could a man like that be my brother? I wished I could remember how he had been before, that he wasn't all-bad, but I had nothing but photos.<p>

Dana and I went to see our Dad in his quarters. He was staring at the fish tank.

"For fifteen years, I dreamed of seeing him, again. For fifteen years, I hope he would never come back," our dad said.

"You could have told us," I said.

"I was ashamed. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make," he replied.

"You had no other choice," Dana said, coming closer to him.

"I know that. But still, in my heart, I wonder," he said.

"You did the right thing, Father," I said slowly. We each took one of his hands.

* * *

><p>In the girls' room, only Kelsey slept well that night. But the demons didn't give us long to recover from the news.<p>

The alarm went off the very next day, and we ran to Rescue Ops. I noticed Captain Mitchell was gone as we ran inside and gathered around the screen.

"The Titanium Ranger is back," an officer said, as we saw the Ranger himself on the screen. Ryan was striding through the streets, as people panicked and ran in every direction.

"Where's the Captain?" Carter asked, turning back to the officer.

"He left without saying anything," the man replied.

"You mean Captain Mitchell didn't tell anyone where he was going?" Joel asked incredulously.

"That's not like him," Carter said quietly. I exchanged a look with my sister, and we silently backed out of the room. We knew where he was going.

We reached the Rescue Rover, Dana taking the driver's seat, and started out.

"Dana, Jane, wait!" Carter shouted, running through the doors as we descended. The others yelled our names, but we only looked grimly at them and kept going.

Ryan was shooting at civilians as we arrived on the scene. Dana blocked a blast with her baton Rescue Blaster right before it could hit a man.

"Quick, get out of here!" I said to them, and they ran. With a snarl of rage, Ryan came forward.

"It's you two. After all these years, I've been waiting to meet you two again. I finally get to pay you back, sisters!" And he fired. We both ducked and rolled opposite ways. So he knew. And he was fighting us anyway. He switched his Titanium Laser's mode, and we all charged towards each other.

Dana somersaulted over Ryan's head, and I swung my baton Rescue Blaster. He blocked the blow, and swung me around to block Dana's attack. She pulled back, but still hit me across the shoulder. Then, shoving me aside, he locked weapons with Dana, pushing her back onto one knee.

"No brother of mine could be evil as you," I said. I didn't want to hate him, for Dad's sake, but the burning pain in my shoulder made it hard.

"You're right, unless his father lets him fall from the cliff to save his other kids!" Ryan retorted. He charged again.

He twisted the Rescue Blaster out of Dana's grip and elbowed her in the gut. I leaped back in, and caught his leg under my arm. He flipped away from Dana's attack, twisted me off, and kicked the Pink Ranger in the chest. Flipping around, I blocked one of his slashes with a leg, spun and kicked his arm away. Then he whirled and caught my ankle, throwing me back a few yards. The Titanium Ranger shoved Dana to the ground, grabbed her ankles and threw her, but she landed on her feet.

She staggered back next to me, dropping to one knee and clutching her side. My head pounded as I struggled up again.

"Ryan, Father didn't let you fall," I protested.

"There was nothing he could do!" Dana said.

"But you two survived that night on the cliff," Ryan retorted.

"But, now it's over, Ryan," Dana said wearily. She picked up her Rescue Blaster again.

"It's over for you two," Ryan said, switching the Titanium Laser's mode back to Blaster. Dana looked at the Rescue Blaster, then at me. I nodded, and we holstered our weapons.

"He loved you. You wanted to grow up to be a fireman just like him," Dana said. She swayed, and I put out a hand to her even though I was just as wobbly.

"Quiet!" Ryan shouted.

"What's the matter with you? Don't you remember anything?" I cried, grabbing the end of the Titanium Laser. He tried to pull it out of my grip, and Dana seized it alongside me.

"I remember…" Ryan began.

"Ryan! Don't!" Carter shouted, running towards us. Ryan snapped out of it, and slammed a fist into my gut and the muzzle of his weapon into Dana's chest. We both fell down. I heard running footsteps, and saw our teammates shadows cover us.

"Are you okay?" Carter asked, helping us up.

"Yeah, we're fine," I said shakily. Ryan was running.

"But we've got to go after him!" Dana said, standing and limping after our brother. She nearly fell down again, Carter catching her just in time.

"Wait. We're all are coming with you," Carter said.

"Okay," Dana said. We started towards Ryan, but Vypra and another of her goons teleported in our way. This new monster was lizardlike, with a second head instead of a right hand and a row of ridiculously long spikes running down his back.

"None of you are going anywhere!" Vypra cried. We moved into a fighting stance.

"Ready!" Carter shouted.

"Lightspeed Rescue!" The others shouted, morphing.

"Get them!" Vypra ordered, and the demon repeated her as he charged. Carter, Dana and I were in the front and batted away his first few strikes. Then Chad moved in with his kicks and punches, but the demon caught him by the leg and threw him back at us. Vypra laughed and left. Carter flat-out tackled the demon to the ground, rolling away as we joined him.

"I seem to be on a roll here, but it's all thanks to you," the demon said. "Let me give you a hand." His right arm stretched out and clamped down on Carter's arm, throwing him over the demon's shoulder. Kelsey somersaulted in the way, grabbing the arm and holding up the Rescue Bird's drill attachment. She stabbed the arm, and the monster recoiled. Dana, Joel and I drew our Rescue Blasters and shot the demon, before Dana switched to extinguisher mode.

The demon fell flat on his back, kicking his arms and legs like an overturned beetle.

"Unilaser mode!" Carter shouted, as we leaped into position.

"Ready!"

"Aim!"

"And fire!" We destroyed the demon, but as usual, he grew giant-sized. This time, though, he grew with a fiery tornado, and when it faded, he was bigger, spikier and badder-looking than before.

"Oh no, not again!" Carter shouted. "Rescue Rails, on track!" We ran into the trains.

"Let's do it!" Carter said, as we leaped into our cockpits. "Rail Rescues, locked on." Here it went again. "Maximum thrust!" It felt like taking off in an airplane, only more vertical.

"Super Train thunder!" Carter shouted, as we landed again. "Gatling Blaster, online!"

"All right. Full power!" Chad replied.

"Turbines, super-charge!" Carter ordered. This time, to my relief, the guns went off without electrocuting us all. The Gatling Blasters and Missiles were incredibly loud. The demon took a lot of hits, but kept on coming. He smacked us across the chest a few times, and then stabbed with his overly-long right claws. The Megazord shook, and sparks showered into the cockpit.

"He's draining our power!" Carter said. "Power Punch!" The right arm-my Super Train-rose up and punched the monster in the face, throwing him back. "Turbines, rev up!" The monster got up as we charged the Turbines. "Fire!"

The monster fell flat on his back and exploded. We whooped and cheered. As we disassembled the Megazord, though, Joel spoke up.

"Hey, Captain Mitchell's still gone." We looked at each other.

"I think I know where he went," Dana said quietly.

* * *

><p>We ran out to the far side of town, where a small highway ran past some deep valleys. I realized where we were headed as we reached a dusty cliff face. Dana was right: Dad was getting up off the ground. Nearby was a young man in black, with his back to us. I hadn't actually seen Ryan unmorphed yet: seeing his face, I began to not hate him for all the destruction he'd caused.<p>

"Ryan!" Dana shouted, as we ran towards them. He spun around, then looked back to Captain Mitchell.

"I...am so sorry, Ryan," Dad said. "I would have given my life a thousand times to save yours." Ryan said nothing. Then he turned away. "Ryan, wait!" Ryan halted, but didn't look back. "After all these years...I can't lose you again. You're my son." I could see Ryan's face, and there were so many different emotions crossing it that I couldn't tell what he was thinking. My anger faded. He'd been through so much more than we had, and he'd been lied to for fifteen years.

With a shake of his head, Ryan started walking again. He paused, and unstrapping his Titanium Morpher, he dropped it to the ground. Dana shook her head, and I took her hand. Then Ryan ran. He paused at the edge of the canyon, and looked back down at Captain Mitchell. My brother disappeared around a bend.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	13. Ryan's Destiny

A Shade Of Orange

Ryan's Destiny

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

* * *

><p>I was in my dad's quarters, showing him everything I knew about the demons we hadn't yet fought. Then he paused me, and went to the door. It slid open, and I saw Ryan walking towards us.<p>

"Ryan," Dad said with a smile, and showed him inside. I gave my brother a timid smile, which he returned. "I knew you'd come back." Ryan turned to face him.

"I'm not here to stay. I came here to say goodbye." Ryan said. Dad's face fell.

"You're leaving? But we just found you," I protested.

"Goodbye? But why? Now that you know who you really are, there is a place for you here at Lightspeed." My dad said. Ryan shook his head, and half-turned away.

"That's just it. I don't know who I am. For years, my mind has been poisoned by hate and fear." He looked back at my father. "I just don't know if there's any good left in me. I'm leaving Mariner Bay. I have to find out who I am. Goodbye, sis." Ryan said and left, just like that. I whirled on Captain Mitchell.

"Dad, are you going to stop him?" I asked.

"No. He has to make his own decisions," My dad replied.

"What about Dana?" I asked. Not answering, Captain Mitchell grabbed a little silver case off his desk and left. I followed, and saw him stop Ryan in the hallway. Dad didn't speak loudly, but I could hear him from the corner.

"You may not know who you are. But trust me, I do. You're not evil. Somewhere inside of you, there is an ocean of goodness. The day you realize that you are truly good, I want you open this," My dad said to Ryan. My brother took the case and left. Dana arrived as Dad finished speaking, and my sister and I ran after our brother. We bumped into a man on the way, and Dana quickly apologized.

We saw Ryan standing in an elevator, and I stopped, but Dana kept going.

"Ryan! Ryan, wait." Dana said, but he shook his head. The doors closed right in front of Dana's face. She turned to me, and all I could do was shake my head.

* * *

><p>Dana and I spent the morning arguing about why Ryan had left, why Dad let him go and what had been in the box. Kelsey was out training with Chad, and only arrived after we were done. Then the alarm began to beep, and we ran to Rescue Ops.<p>

"What's up?" Kelsey asked.

"Trouble times three." My dad replied.

"Three? What?" Carter asked, looking at Captain Mitchell. We went to the screen, and saw three demons attacking the city.

"Oh my gosh," Kelsey breathed.

"Three is too many," I said, shaking my head. "Especially those three. That's Demonite," I pointed to one in Roman-style armor, "Thunderon," a monster who was mostly one big ball at the chest and shoulders, "And Falkar," an armored demon with an eagle's head as his helmet. "They mean serious trouble."

"We've locked onto their location. Let's get going, Rangers," Captain Mitchell said.

"We're on it." Chad said. We left, morphing as we reached the transport.

The Rescue Rover's sirens screamed as we drove to the attack site. Leaping out of the car, we landed on a wide set of stairs and turned to the three demons.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Falkar said.

"Let's do it, guys," Carter said.

"Right! Lightspeed Rescue!" We shouted, saluting and each striking a battle pose.

"Let's get them!" Carter said. The demons strode towards us, and we engaged them in battle. Joel and I tackled Demonite. The demon slammed his sword into Joel's shoulder, and began banging him against a nearby car. I slashed Demonite across the back, and he tossed Joel aside and slashed his sword across my chest. I staggered back, the wind knocked out of me, and Joel sprang up with his Rescue Blaster at the ready. But Demonite wasn't there.

Then the monster's sword darted out of the air, slashing Joel and me one way and then the other. The Green Ranger fell into the car, and Demonite quickly turned it into a convertible. I rolled aside just in time, and the car roof just missed me. I started to get up.

"Goodbye, Rangers!" Demonite shouted. Joel leaped away, but not quite in time. We were both thrown to the ground by the explosion.

Lying there, I glimpsed Carter and Chad swordfighting Falkar. Then the demon leaped up and began spinning, using his staff for balance. He kicked both Rangers so quickly that they had no time to react. Laughing, Thunderon picked up Dana and Kelsey and began juggling them, causing little explosions each time they hit his huge fists. Getting bored, he threw them to the ground, and the rest of us gathered around them.

"Man, what's with these guys?" Joel asked.

"I don't know, but they're really tough," Carter said.

"Really? What gave you that idea?" I said.

"If you think that was tough, wait till you see what's in store for Mariner Bay," Falkar said.

"What have you done?" Carter demanded.

"Just delivered a few presents from Diabolico," Demonite said. Then he threw a large white feather at us, which Carter caught.

"What? A feather?" I asked.

"But these are special feathers. Harmless in the daytime, but as soon as darkness falls, zap!" Demonite said, raising a finger and sending black lightning towards the sun with the last word. Darkness eclipsed the sun, but only a wide circle around us went black. The feather began to glow blue, and Carter dropped it. Then it exploded.

"What happened?" Kelsey said, pushing herself up on her elbows.

"The same thing that's going to happen all over Mariner Bay, at sunset," Falkar said.

"The feathers are everywhere! You'll never be able to find them all. The only way to render them harmless is to defeat all of us before nightfall!" Thunderon rumbled. "So what are you going to do, Rangers?"

"Yes, please tell us. Or shall we all just sit back together and watch the fireworks at sunset?" Falkar taunted.

"Carter, call in the Rescue Bird," I said, as he struggled to his feet. Joel, Chad and Kelsey leaped up, and each seized one of the demons.

"I got him, Carter!" Joel cried. "Do it now!"

"All right, Rescue Bird!" Carter ordered. Dana and I joined him as he put it in Unilaser mode and aimed it at the three demons.

"Ready!" Dana shouted.

"Aim!" I called.

"And Fire!" At the last second, the three demons grabbed Kelsey, Chad and Joel and threw them into the path of the laser. They were thrown aside, covered in scorch marks.

"What?" I cried.

"Oh no!" Carter exclaimed.

"That's impossible!" Dana cried.

"Nice shot," Demonite said, and blasted us flat on our backs with red eye lasers. I bit my tongue hitting my head on the pavement.

"Guys, we're running out of time," Carter said. It was true; it was getting dark.

"The sun is going down, and so are you!" Demonite taunted.

"Guys, follow me," Carter said, getting up.

"Carter, you have a plan, don't you?" I asked, as we all struggled up. Carter nodded.

"Right, let's go," Chad said. We ran away and the demons pursued. We didn't go very quickly, but demons weren't known for being fast. They shouted threats and taunts at us as they ran. We rounded a corner, and Carter quickly pointed up to the roof.

We rappelled up, just as the demons came around the corner. Silently, Carter summoned the Rescue Bird as the trio looked around in bewilderment.

"The game's over!" Carter shouted, getting their attention.

"Not by a long shot!" Demonite retorted.

"Ready, fire!" Carter shouted, and we did. The lasers shot down, then bounced off and came right back at us. We were all thrown off the roof, and I had a second to wonder how much it would hurt before landing. Oof! My vision flashed white for a second.

I could hear Demonite's voice, but everything hurt too much for me to tell what. Then I saw feathers landing all around us.

"There's too many of them. We have to do something," Carter said, but he wasn't even strong enough to stand up.

Thunderon, Falkar and Demonite stood and watched. Slowly, we began to get up, Carter first as always. It was nearly sunset. Then, just as I thought we could do it, they all began to glow blue.

The feathers exploded, and we were all flung right through a brick wall and into a warehouse. Our morphs vanished, and I blacked out for a few seconds. Demonite said something, and the others laughed as they advanced on us.

"I'm going to enjoy this. It's simply amazing what a few feathers can do," Demonite said.

"And now we will show you what we can do," Thunderon said. They raised their weapons, and we threw up our arms instinctively. Then someone somersaulted in through the hole in the wall, landing a kick on each demon's chest. They fell back and he landed, looking up to reveal my older brother's face.

"Ryan?" Kelsey asked. We got up as he did.

"He really came," Dana said.

"Go Ryan!" I shouted.

"Look what we have here. It's the traitor!" Falkar said.

"Still playing games, huh?" Demonite asked.

"This is no game. Titanium Power!" My brother shouted, morphing into the Titanium Ranger. The other Rangers were amazed, and Dana and I grinned.

"You're history," Thunderon said, and charged. Ryan leaped forward, slamming a foot into Thunderon's chest and throwing him back into a pile of crates. Falkar and Demonite had _not_ been expecting that. They charged, and Ryan quickly sent Falkar back with his fellow demon. Demonite was tougher, but Ryan flipped out of his reach and swept a leg out from under him. Falkar came back for seconds, and Ryan ripped his staff out of his hand before kicking him into another pile of empty boxes.

"Is that all you've got?" Ryan asked. Okay, my brother wasn't just good, he was awesome. The demons struggled to their feet.

"We have more tricks than just feathers," Demonite said.

"You haven't seen the last of us," Falkar added. They teleported away, the way they always did after saying a line like that.

"Power down," Ryan said. His morph vanished, and he gave us a silent nod. Dana and I quickly grabbed him in a hug, and the others gathered around us.

"Ryan! Ryan, you're back!" Dana said.

"Never leave again," I said to my big brother as we let go, and he smiled down at me.

"I won't, little sisters. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be." Ryan said, and we laughed with joy. Chad shook Ryan's hand.

* * *

><p>In Rescue Ops, I passed a Lightspeed jacket, which I'd gotten a nice girl on base to whip up that afternoon, to Dana.<p>

"Here you go," Dana said to Ryan, and helped him put it on. "Try this on for size."

"It fit perfectly," Carter said.

"You're awesome." Chad said.

"Take from me. Girls love men in a uniform. Come to think of it," Joel said, and put his arm around Kelsey, "They loved me before I had a uniform." Kelsey laughed, and gave him an elbow to the chest. Even he knew better than to hit on one of Ryan's sisters in front of him. We could all still feel the bruises from Ryan's brief switch to evil.

"I don't know what to say. Thanks," Ryan said.

"Diabolico can't touch you. Not with us around," Dana said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Never," I said.

"Absolutely," Carter confirmed. "Welcome to Lightspeed." The scientists and military people around us began to applaud. I felt like I was glowing, I was so happy and proud.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	14. Curse Of the Cobra

A Shade of Orange

Curse of the Cobra

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

* * *

><p>I lay on my stomach on my bed, browsing my email. Hmm, something from Shammel.<p>

Jane—Principal Delgavio is missing!

Shammel

My jaw dropped. Well, she'd never been one to waste words. I heard Dana and Kelsey arrive, and they cheerfully greeted me.

"Hey," I replied, not really looking at them.

"Jane, something wrong?" Kelsey asked, sitting down beside me.

"This email," I replied, hitting the "reply" key. Then our morphers went off.

"Rangers to Rescue Ops," My dad said. I sighed, and we all took off.

"They're back," Kelsey said, as we ran into Rescue Ops. There, with a rush of nerves, I recognized Demonite, Thunderon and Falkar attacking the city. They were in a burning plaza, which looked pretty badly trashed. People ran in every direction.

"Are you ready?" Captain Mitchell asked, turning to us.

"Absolutely," Ryan replied.

"All right. Let's show them what seven Rangers can do," Captain Mitchell said.

"Yes, sir," we said, saluting and heading for the Rescue Rover.

"Come on, Ryan. I want to show you how it's really done," Joel said, hopping in the back with him and Kelsey. Carter and Dana were up front, and I was in the middle with Chad as usual. We started down the tunnel.

Demonite, Thunderon, and Falkar were waiting for us. A lot of people were injured, and a few trapped underneath a pile of pipes. Chad, Dana and Kelsey began helping them.

"The Rangers, right on time," Falkar said. Ryan, Joel, Carter and I dropped into a fighting stance. The others joined us a second later, Chad doing a fancy flip.

"We meet again," Thunderon said. Carter stood up straight.

"I guess you didn't learn the first time," Carter said. "Ready?"

"Right. Lightspeed Rescue!" We shouted, and morphed.

"Titanium Power!" My brother cried.

"Alright, guys, let's do it," Carter said, as Ryan joined us and we struck a last pose.

"Get them!" Demonite cried, and we went to battle. Carter and Ryan after Demonite, Kelsey and Chad taking on Falkar, and I joined Dana and Joel's charge on Thunderon.

We girls kicked his fists away, but he landed a solid punch to Joel's gut. Dana backflipped away and I kicked him in the head and Dana backflipped. Joel and I followed Dana, drew our blasters and shot the demon. Panting, I glanced around at our teammates.

Kelsey and Chad were doing well, landing several hits, until Falkar grabbed Chad and threw him into a wall. Carter and my brother battled Demonite with swords. Carter tried to slash Demonite, bounced off and hit the ground. Ryan leaped onto tall building and shot at Demonite, but missed. Then Thunderon punched me in the back. Ow, remember to pay attention to your opponent.

I hit the pavement with a grunt, and rolled over to fire my Rescue Blaster into his face. He staggered back, and Dana and Joel dragged me up. We ran back to Carter and Ryan—who looked like he'd fallen off the building—as Chad and Kelsey did.

"Revenge is sweet," Demonite said, as Falkar and Thunderon joined him.

"You all right, Ryan?" Dana asked, putting a hand on his arm.

"Yeah," Ryan said, and we dropped back into our battle stances.

"I've got something to double our fun," Demonite said, drawing a mirror-faced card. He tossed it to the ground, and it glowed yellow, forming into—

"It's an exactly copy of Demonite," Carter exclaimed. No kidding, Red Ranger. Well, actually, the top of his helmet was blue, that was different.

"And everything I can do, he can do," Demonite said, as we backed up. "You'll have to work twice as hard now." He fired his laser at us, and we all ducked aside. "Finish them, now!" Demonite's clone, Falkar, and Thunderon charged.

Carter kicked the Demonite clone's sword away, and got a boot to the chest. Ryan tried to get in a shot, but the demon moved too fast. Joel got slashed by Falkar's staff, and Kelsey went down a second later. Attacking Thunderon, Dana and Chad got a few kicks in before being punched down. I glanced at them, and charged past to the real Demonite. He looked mildly surprised, and caught my baton mode Rescue Blaster on both swords.

I kicked Demonite in the shin, somersaulting back and landing on one knee. He tried to blast me, but I shot him with my Rescue Blaster. Sparks showered from his side, and weirdly enough, from the side of his clone as well.

"How did that happen?" I said, glancing from one Demonite to the other.

"What?" Carter said, looking at the staggering clone.

"Carter, are you okay?" I asked, at the same time as Ryan asked if he was all right.

"I'm fine," he said. Ryan attacked the Demonite clone. The battle went on. Carter and I took on the real Demonite, and we all slowly worked our way out of the plaza. Ryan and the clone stayed behind, and in the glimpses I got, he didn't seem to be doing well.

"V-Lancer!" Carter ordered. He leaped into the air and sliced down at Demonite, but the demon caught it with one hand. I drew my V-Lancer and jumped in, slashing the demon across the stomach, and he fell back.

"Carter, are you alright?" I asked, backing a step towards him.

"Yeah, Jane," he said, standing, "Look out!" He stabbed past me at Demonite's stomach, and I caught a sword strike from the demon.

Everyone else had drawn their V-Lancers as well, but even so, we were losing. We gathered, and so did the demons.

"V-Lancers, lock on," Carter said. "Fire!" We pulled our triggers, and the lasers struck home. However, the light turned into a ball of golden lightning, which the demons threw right back at us. The burst of heat and deafening blast weren't any easier, even though I was expecting them. I jarred a shoulder hitting the pavement.

"You just don't learn, do you?" Thunderon asked. Slowly and painfully, we got back up.

"This isn't over yet," Carter said.

"We're going to bring you down," I added.

"It's time to defeat you," Demonite said.

"Haven't you learned that the Rangers will never be beaten?" Chad asked.

"Well, we see it differently." Demonite said. "And it's time we taught you a lesson you'll never forget." the three demons advanced.

"Wait, Ryan's in trouble." Dana said suddenly, putting a hand to her ear. "He needs our help!"

"Last time I saw him, he was fighting that Demonite clone," Joel said. We all went back into fighting stances.

"Wait a minute, I just realized something," Carter said. "Earlier, when Jane blasted Demonite, his clone was hit too. Maybe we can fight both of them at once—that gives me an idea! Come on, we have to hurry!"

We ran after him. I wondered what his plan was, and hoped it would be enough. These three—four now—were tireless.

"Now where they are going?" Falkar asked behind us. I couldn't hear Demonite's reply well enough to tell what he said, but they followed us down a narrow alley.

"They're right behind us," Dana said, glancing back.

"This way," Carter said, as we turned a corner. He pointed us to a ladder, and we began shimmying up to the rooftop. I took the moment's pause to rub my aching shoulder and catch my breath, before heading up after the others. Carter slipped away.

"You will never lose us, Rangers," Demonite taunted. Then, we heard them stop. "Huh? Where'd they go?"

"I'm getting sick of this silly game," Thunderon said, thwacking his fists together.

"They're here somewhere," Demonite said. We leaped over the gap between buildings as quietly as we could. Then he stopped.

Demonite whirled around and blasted us back with his eye lasers. We all cried out and fell headlong to the pavement. Falling together in a heap, we struggled to get back up as the three demons laughed at us.

"Hold on, where's Red?" Falkar asked. Then Carter kicked away a row of metal barrels, leaped out of an alley and blasted the demons with his V-Lancer.

"Freeze!" He shouted, shoving his V-Lancer and the Rescue Bird into Demonite's chest. The other two got out of the way. "Don't take another step, Demonite. And if you know what's good for you, call off your clone right now."

"Never!" Demonite retorted. "We're having too much fun!" The rest of us got back up, favoring our various new injuries.

"Don't force me, or I'll have no choice but to destroy both of you," Carter said.

"Go ahead," Falkar said, drawing Carter's gaze, "but I'm sure you're well aware that at that close distance, you will blow yourself up too," Falkar said. The two were on the other side of Carter and Demonite—we couldn't get past to reach them.

"He's right, Ranger. Go ahead," Demonite taunted. Carter put a finger on the trigger. "Come on, Red. Pull the trigger." The other two demons laughed.

"You're pushing me too far," Carter warned.

"Do it!" Demonite said, though Falkar and Thunderon looked suddenly nervous.

"Carter!" Dana cried.

"I'm warning you," Carter said.

"Give it to me!" Demonite shouted. "Do it!" Then Carter lowered the weapons.

"No! This isn't the right way," he said. "I'm going to help Ryan." He turned, and I had just a second to breathe in relief.

"Then I'll give it to you!" Demonite said, raising his sword, and charged.

"Look out!" Dana cried, and Carter ducked. The Red Ranger whirled, shoving the V-Lancer and Rescue Bird into Demonite's stomach, and pulled both triggers.

Demonite roared as yellow energy and blue lightning surrounded him. Then the entire alleyway exploded. Whatever was in those enormous metal crates was flammable—it went off with a series of bangs. I was deaf and blind for a good minute, but I heard my sister scream "No!"

Slowly, we all picked ourselves up. The smoke cleared a little, and we saw the remnants of Demonite rain to the pavement. There were a few blackened metal barrels still in the alley, but nothing else.

"Carter…" Dana trailed off, sinking to her knees.

"It can't be," I protested, shaking my head. Dana dropped onto her hands, lowering her head. This wasn't possible. It just—no. No, no, no.

"Carter? Carter, are you there?" Ryan asked into his morpher. "Dana, Jane answer me."

"He can't be gone," Dana said.

"Dana, he isn't—look!" Joel exclaimed. Dana looked up, just as he kicked two of the barrels away and began pushing himself up. His suit was covered with scorch marks, and he could barely keep his balance, but he was alive. I nearly fell down, I was so relieved.

"Carter!" Dana cried. We ran to Carter, who staggered towards us. Dana seized Carter in a hug, and he patted her back and nearly collapsed. We all pulled him back up. "Carter, you scared us!"

"Yeah, I scared myself pretty good too," Carter said, and laughed shakily.

"He did it. He destroyed Demonite," I heard Falkar's voice from above. Looking up, I saw the other two demons.

"Don't worry, we have Diabolico on our side," Thunderon replied.

"Oh, because that's worked so well in the past," I called up to them.

I saw the card fly past us and onto Demonite's remains. He grew giant-sized in seconds.

"Rescue Zords, mobilize!" Carter called. We all leaped into the Zords as they arrived, and started the Megazord formation without even being told to.

"That is an impressive Megazord," Falkar said.

"Demonite will turn it into scrap metal," Thunderon rumbled.

We both charged, swords at the ready. Demonite slash us in the stomach, and parried our own attack. His other sword struck home, and there was a shower of sparks.

"He's tough!" Joel said.

"Come on, hang in there, Joel," Carter said. Demonite slashed at us again, and we staggered back. "We're going to get one crack at this, guys, so keep him busy. I got an idea." I hoped this idea would be less scary than the last one, but said nothing.

"You got it," Chad replied. Demonite slashed us, and sparks showered to the ground. Then the Super Train arrived, transforming into the Super Train Megazord. It fired its missles, and Demonite tumbled to the ground.

"Wow!" My sister exclaimed.

"The Super Train Megazord. Good one," Joel added.

"Okay guys, let's give it all we've got," Carter said.

"Right," we said, and went to work.

"Turbines, Super Charge. Fire!" Carter ordered. "Lightspeed Megazord Saber, ignite!" The turbine and Saber hit Demonite, and he exploded.

"That was a tough one." Carter said.

"Great job, guys. That was amazing," Ryan said.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Shammel asked over the phone. I was lying on my back on the bed, cellphone at my ear. Nobody else was in the girls' quarters.<p>

"Shammel, it's Jane," I said. "When did Delgavio go missing?"

"Just a week ago," Shammel siad. "Come down to the park and we'll give you the details."

"Alright," I replied, and turned off my cellphone. I grabbed my jacket and darted out the door.

* * *

><p>Please Review<p> 


	15. An Unexpected Recruit

A Shade of Orange

An Unexpected Recruit

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

* * *

><p>I ran through the Aquabase, wishing I had my driver's license and didn't have to walk everywhere. Screeching around a corner, I happened to glance around, and saw Dana and Carter standing in a corner. Wait...were they kissing? Yes, they were.<p>

I bit back an incredulous giggle. After the whole Demonite thing earlier, I'd guessed Dana was getting attached, but this was still kind of sudden. I tiptoed away.

I finally got to the park, and looked around for my former classmate Shammel.

"Jane!" Shammel shouted, waving to get my attention. I saw her and called her name, recognizing several of my other classmates—including Henry Grayson. I got butterflies in my stomach. How did he always look so cute? Waving, I ran over.

"Henry!" I exclaimed, hugging him. Shammel laughed, and my ears turned pink.

"Jane, you're a Power Ranger now?" He asked, breaking the hug.

"Yeah, and it's awesome," I replied, and turned to Shammel. "Shammel, what about Ms. Delgavio?"

"Principal Delgavio and a bunch of other people have been missing for about a week," Shammel said, giving me a handful of newspaper clippings. They were all articles on missing persons.

"Most of these are from Dogwood Park," I said, flicking through the papers. "What happened?"

"We don't know," Eric said.

"Can you and the other Rangers find them?" Shammel asked.

"Sure, I'll give these to my Dad," I replied, tucking the papers in my pocket.

"Can I come with you, Jane?" Henry asked. "I want to see my brother," he added, at my surprised look. His brother? Oh, right, Carter was his older brother. I'd forgotten—they didn't see each other often, having different foster parents.

"Sure," I replied. Then Devin, Shammel's boyfriend, ran up.

"Shammel, another person's gone," Devin panted.

"I should go to the Aquabase now, my Dad will want to know about this," I said.

"Good luck," Christelle said.

"Thanks!" We ran off.

* * *

><p>At the Aquabase, I found Miss Fairweather in her lab, and quickly explained the problem.<p>

"Why do you think this has anything to do with Diabolico?" Miss Fairweather asked. Then my dad came in. He didn't look happy.

"Come with me, both of you," Captain Mitchell said.

"Yes, sir," Henry and I replied, and followed him to the meeting room.

In the meeting room, I saw the rest of the team. They were all staring at me. Oops, had I missed another meeting?

"Jane, where were you?" Dana asked.

"At the park for information," I replied.

"Rangers, I want to you to meet our newest member, Henry Grayson," My dad said, clapping Henry on the shoulder. Carter sprang up, and Henry looked in shock from him to Captain Mitchell.

"Captain Mitchell, why'd you call us here?" Joel asked.

"It's about some missing persons' cases," My dad said. The same ones Shammel had mentioned? "Please, have a seat and let me explain," Captain Mitchell said, sitting down. We slid into our chairs. "About a week ago, various people from around the city began to disappear without a trace. There have been no leads on any of them." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the newspaper clippings.

"These people?" I asked, sliding the papers across the table to him. Captain Mitchell looked through them, and nodded.

"Dad, what did you mean when you said 'Henry is the newest member'?" I asked.

"Jane, I think I'm going to become a Power Ranger," Henry said. Carter started in surprise, and everyone on the team exchanged glances. Henry looked pretty scared, as Captain Mitchell opened his safe.

"Correct, Henry." My dad said, turning around and setting a file and silvery case down on the table. "We've only delayed recruiting you until you'd graduated. Will you accept this morpher?"

"I…I don't know if I can be a Power Ranger," Henry said, staring at the morpher.

"My daughter said the same thing," Captain Mitchell said with a smile.

"She did?" Henry asked, glancing over at me.

"I was so scared, I thought I was going to die." I said. Carter reached over and clasped his younger brother's shoulder.

"It can be pretty scary sometimes, but with eight Rangers, Diabolico won't have a chance," he said with a grin. Henry met his eye, then looked slowly around at the rest of us. All of us, even Joel, nodded or smiled encouragingly at him.

"I'm in," Henry said at last, snatching the morpher. Kelsey whooped, Carter clapped his brother on the shoulder, and there was hand-shaking all around.

"Good. Now, your first mission will be this rescue," Captain Mitchell said, sitting down. "First, we need to find them."

"Knowing Diabolico, he'll lead us to them," Ryan said. "He likes to gloat."

"I can create a diversion, while you guys rescue the prisoners," Carter said.

"No, the team will need you with them to give orders," My dad said.

"Henry and I can do it," I said. "Since he hasn't got much training yet, he won't have to fight, and I can…help him out," I finished awkwardly. My ears turned pink.

"I agree with Jane," Dana said, and the others nodded and murmured their approval. Then, right on time, the alarms sounded. We ran to Rescue Ops.

There were two demons on the screen, laughing and blasting anyone who came too close. I stared, trying to figure out which ones they were.

"Jane, who are those demons?" Henry asked.

"I…don't know. They weren't in the book," I said.

"We'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way, then," Ryan said.

"Rangers, get going," Captain Mitchell said. We saluted and left, Henry straggling behind.

* * *

><p>In the warehouse district—where else?—we found the two strange demons, and dropped into fighting stances. Up close, I noticed that they both looked more like Vypra—mostly human—than any of the other demons we'd met.<p>

"Hey, you!" Carter called. "Who are you two?"

"We serve Diabolico," The first demon said. He was a fair-skinned man with glowing red eyes and long fangs.

"You've never seen us before because we're only half-demon," The second, a shorter man with browner skin added. "And it doesn't matter what you do, Queen Bansheera will be restored! You'll never get past us!"

"Thank for the information, guys." I said brightly, and we charged.

The two were ridiculously outnumbered, but we weren't there to destroy them. After knocking them down, we ran towards the warehouse.

"Those two are stupid," Carter said. Then we spotted five Batlings guarding the warehouse, at the same time as they saw us. We went right through them. Carter and Henry seized one by the arms and threw him into a second Batling. Chad flipped over another and kicked it in the back, right into Ryan's fist. Dana and Joel karate-chopped another on both shoulders. I side-kicked a Batling's legs out from under it, and shoved it down a flight of stairs.

"Nice move. Where'd you learn it?" Chad asked.

"Soccer training," I replied, and we dashed inside.

Inside the dimly-lit building, we quickly spotted the missing people inside a wide cage. It was surrounded by a glowing green force field, and whenever it grew brighter, it drained a little more of the prisoners' life force. Principal Delgavio, a little sooty but still standing, was near the front. We dashed over, but bounced off the force field.

"Ms Delgavio, are you alright?" I asked, scrambling back up.

"I'm alright. Please stop the ceremony," Ms Delgavio said, sarcastic as always.

"Right," I said with a grin. Then we heard demons teleport inside, and turned. Diabolico, Vypra, and a big, blue-skinned demon I recognized as Loki stood there.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Power Rangers." Diabolico rumbled.

"Rangers, we haven't met. I am Loki," Loki said. "Second son of Queen Bansheera."

"Let's the people go, or we will destroy you," Ryan said, and the demons laughed.

"Ready?" Carter asked, raising his morpher.

"Right! Lightspeed Rescue!" We said, and struck our fighting stances. Henry looked great in purple.

"Jinxer, take Impus and Lamia back to the palace," Diabolico ordered. "We'll take care of the Rangers."

"Yes, Diabolico," a fly-like demon sneered, and scooped up what I had thought were two bundles. They had faces, though, and looked kind of like Furbies. Jinxer vanished.

"Batlings, get them!" Diabolico ordered, and the foot soldiers sprang out of the ground.

"Rescue Blasters! Henry, follow my lead," Carter ordered. Dana and I charged in, shooting Batlings left and right. Carter and Henry went to baton mode, and slashed the foot soldiers aside. Chad, Kelsey, and Joel punched and kicked Batlings, shooting every few seconds. We finished the last of the Batlings and turned to the demons.

Diabolico, Loki and Vypra drew their swords and charged. Henry reached my side.

"Jane, remember our soccer training," Henry said. Soccer training? Oh, right, mud field. There was a chunk of debris nearby, which I kicked towards Diabolico. He was not expecting it, and staggered back at the hit.

"Diabolico?" Loki asked, jumping to his side. Henry and I high-fived.

"Great job, Henry. You, Dana and Kelsey save the people. Jane, Ryan, Chad and I will stop them," Carter said. Henry nodded and we split off. We charged, and fought the three main demons. Carter and Ryan took on Diabolico, Chad attacked Loki, and of course, Vypra was left to me. I grinned under my helmet: payback time.

"Time to finish you, Orange Ranger." Vypra said.

"I don't think so, Vypra," I retorted, catching her sword with my Rescue Baton. She broke the weapon lock and whirled around, and saw the other four Rangers try to blast through the force field. It flashed green, but so did something on the ceiling. I glanced up, and saw a green gemstone in the roof.

"Guys, look, I think that's controlling the field!" I shouted, pointing. Vypra attacked, and I just barely deflected her sword.

"We're on it!" Kelsey yelled. She, Dana, Chad and Henry drew their Rescue Blasters, dropped to one knee and blasted it. The gemstone exploded, and the prisoners all got back up as their life force returned.

The three demons broke away, regrouping on the far side of the room. I laughed.

"That's not fair!" Loki protested.

"You'll regret crossing us. Goodbye, for now," Diabolico said. They all disappeared, and we breathed a sigh of relief.

As Carter and Henry caught up on old times, and Chad unlocked the cage door, Dana and I slipped inside to check on the prisoners. They were all tired, but fine.

"Jane, good job stopping the ceremony," Ms. Delgavio said.

"The other Rangers did it, not me," I said.

She put a hand on my shoulder. "You still saved our lives, and that's the important thing. Thank you. All of you," she looked around at the Rangers.

"Let's get back to the Aquabase, guys," Carter said. I nodded, and we Rangers left.

* * *

><p>In the meeting room, we told Captain Mitchell the entire story.<p>

"Queen Bansheera has five children," My dad said, shaking his head. "How about the civilians? Are they safe?"

"A little tired, but they're all going to be fine," I said.

"Well done, Rangers. Take a rest and we'll start training our Purple Ranger tomorrow," My dad said.

"Yes sir." We saluted and went to our quarters.

Just outside the door, I tapped Dana's shoulder.

"Earlier, were my eyes playing tricks on me, or did I see you kissing Carter?" I asked. Dana stared at me.

"...Yes," she said at last, "We were kissing, so what?" I laughed. "Look, if you tell Dad or Ryan, I'll mention all those little glances you've been giving Henry," she said.

"What glances?" I protested, though my ears, the traitors, turned bright pink. Dana smirked, and Kelsey popped her head out the door.

"What's keeping you guys?" She asked.

"Nothing," I said quickly, and slipped inside past her.

* * *

><p>Please Review<p> 


	16. Strength of the Sun

A Shade of Orange

Strength of the Sun

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Co-Written by Michelle the Editor

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban. I own only Jane and Henry.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe the captain wouldn't let Ryan morph. I mean, two of those monsters are still out there." Joel said, as Dana and Kelsey came over.<p>

"We're going to need his help," Chad added.

"He didn't have any choice," Dana said, sitting down. We'd all been told about the cobra curse Diabolico had put on my brother, slowly killing him every time he morphed, before—it still felt like a punch to the stomach. I couldn't even manage a coffee like Dana.

"Well, Ryan wouldn't be able to help anyone if that cobra destroys him," Carter replied. Then his morpher bleeped.

"Rangers to the transport, on the double," Captain Mitchell said. We have to drop everything.

"Thunderon and Falkar were detected in the western district. Be very careful," My Dad said, as we passed him in the corridor. Ryan stepped into our path, and we stopped. "What are you waiting for?" My dad saw Ryan and shook his head no. "Rangers, go." Carter nodded to my Dad, and we left.

At the power plant, Thunderon and Falkar were already there to greet us.

"The little do-gooders have arrived," Falkar said.

"Come on guys, time to morph!" Carter shoued.

"Yes, let's see your superpower!" Falkar said. Thunderon laughed deeply.

"Lightspeed Rescue!" We said. We jumped over them and landed on a balcony. "Let's do it. Light!"

"Speed!" Chad added.

"Rescue!" We all finished, and stuck a fighting stance.

"Foolish little Rangers. How many times do you have to be humiliated by us before you learn?" Falkar taunted. Thunderon blasted us and we fell to the ground. I was hurt as fall to the ground and feels hard.

"Alright guys, let's get them inside." Carter said.

"Right!" Henry replied, and we ran into the building.

Thunderon entered, and we charged him. He punched Carter into Joel, and they both went flying—but they quickly caught hanging ropes and swung back. Thunderon caught the cords and began spinning the two around. Henry and I leaped on the demon as he threw Carter and Joel aside, but he swung around and caught both of us on his fists. We were tossed back into a pile of wooden crates, which collapsed as we hit them.

Falkar slashed Chad, Kelsey, and Dana across the chests, sending them reeling. Using his staff, he spun himself around and tornado-kicked my teammates. Everyone but Henry and me regrouped, none of us having landed a single hit on the demons. The Purple Ranger grabbed me by the shoulder, put a finger to his mouth, and pulled me behind a support pillar.

"Come on, Rangers. At least give us a little challenge," Falkar taunted.

"Wait, shouldn't there be two more?" Thunderon asked, stopping him. Everybody look around for us. Springing out, Henry and I blasted both demons as we charged across the room.

"Jane, are you alright?" Dana asked me, as we reached her.

"I'm supposed to ask you that question," I replied breathlessly.

"All right, try this," Carter said. The other Rangers pulled out their Rescue Blasters, and we began shooting at Falkar and Thunderon. But they deflected it back at us. And we fell.

"Our weapons are useless!" Chad protested, pushing himself up on one elbow.

"There's got to be something we can do," Kelsey said.

"Hey, I got it. We need to try to split them up," Dana said quickly.

"Great, Dana," I panted.

"Brilliant," Kelsey added. "Let's go!" We girls ran.

"You two couldn't catch a fly," Dana yelled to the two demons. I was too busy running to listen to their reply. After a moment, Falkar began to chase us.

"He's right behind us," Dana said. Falkar laughed. We swung around and blasted the demon, who screamed. We slipped into a really abandoned warehouse, Rescue Blasters at the ready. I was scared that Falkar might hurt us again. We waited, until Falkar came our way.

"You really think you can hide from me?" Falkar asked.

"Now for part two of the plan," Dana said. Falkar shot at us, but we leaped into the air before he could even get inside. He darted into the warehouse, and looked around for us in confusion.

"Where are you, my little pretties?" He asked, and laughed. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"Ready, or not, here I come," Kelsey said, rappeling down the outside of the building. She blasted Falkar full in the face with the fire extinguisher setting, and he flailed around helplessly.

"You!"Falkar cried, as we came in.

"Fire!" Dana ordered. We fired at the roof, and it collapsed on the screaming Falkar.

"Alright, it works!" Dana cried happily.

"Yeah. Great teamwork, girls," Kelsey said. I knew the demons were smart because they knew our plans.

"Sure was," Dana said, and we ran to join the boys. They'd moved to the outdoors, and were not doing well.

Thunderon was making a final charge, but Kelsey jumped in and sprayed him. The demon fell down on the ground, as Dana, Kelsey and I helped the boys up.

"You okay?" Dana asked Carter, pulling him up.

"Yeah," Carter replied.

"Falkar is out of the picture," I said.

"Now for Thunderon," Kelsey said, holstering her blaster.

"V-Lancer, Blaster Mode." Carter ordered. The seven V-Lancers appeared in our hands.

"Lock on. Ready?" Carter asked.

"Ready," we said, raising the V-Lancers.

"Enough of this child's play." Thunderon said. "It's time to finish this!" Thunderon fired lasers at us, and we crumpled. We lay still as the demon came closer. "Now that's what I call a strike."

I could hear Thunderon coming closer, still chuckling. Dana lifted her head a little, and opened her visor.

"Carter, you think this is going to work?" Dana whispered. Carter's visor was already retracted.

"It has to," Carter whispered.

"All the little Rangers, lying in a row," Thunderon taunted, in a sing-song voice. I saw Falkar run up from other side, and stared in disbelief. Thunderon was too close for me to move or try to warn the others.

"Serve them up to Diabolico," Thunderon went on.

"A little closer," Carter breathed. "Come on." They closed their visors as Thunderon came closer. "Now!"

We sat up and fired on Thunderon with our V-Lancers when Thunderon was very close, and he howled and spat sparks.

"Thunderon!" Falkar cried in dismay.

"Spectrum Blast!" Carter ordered. We fired our lasers into the air, creating a ball of light, and blasted Thunderon to pieces.

"We did it!" Dana exclaimed.

"This is unimaginable," Falkar protested shakily. "Poor Thunderon!"

"He's not finished yet," Diabolico's growly baritone rang out. "This card will help Thunderon rise to the occasion. Grow!" I saw Diabolico toss a card into the rubble, came back to life. I wasn't surprised, but Henry was surprised when he saw Thunderon grow.

"Rail Rescues, on track," Carter said. The trains came, including Henry's Cop Rescue 7.

"In position! Full power!" Carter ordered, as we leaped inside and drove into the air. I wondered what the new Supertrain Megazord would be like with Henry's train.

_The trains spread apart, mine and Chad's in front, Carter, Henry and Joel's in the middle, Kelsey and Dana's in the back. The front ends of my and Chad's trains flew off, revealing a pair of silver fists. The pieces joined onto the back. The front ends of Dana and Kelsey's Zord unfolded upwards, becoming feet. Joel, Henry and Carter's trains joined together, the front pieces attaching near the back. Kelsey and Dana linked to the bottom, Chad and I the top. A head unfolded from the Megazord._

Thunderon roared and began to charge as we finished the Megazord. He began punching us, and each blow shook the Megazord. There was a rumble, and I looked around to see Falkar grow giant-sized.

"Guys, we have more trouble," I said, pointing.

"Both of them? Again?" Carter asked. Falkar did the same spinning-staff trick as before, throwing us to the ground. We were all knocked out of our seats. Both Thunderon and Falkar began toward us, laughing.

"Captain Mitchell, we've lost all power!" Carter said. The demons kept up their attack, and more and more of our systems were shattered or shorted out. One of Thunderon's punches made me hit my head on my console, and everything went fuzzy for a few moments.

Laughing, Thunderon and Falkar drew back for the final blow. I just kept pushing buttons, hoping for something to work, but the systems were still restoring. Out of nowhere, Thunderon and Falkar were blasted away. The Megazord regained its feet.

"Huh? Who's that?" Carter asked.

"It's me, guys." Ryan replied over the radio. "And I've got you covered."

"It's Ryan! I don't believe it," Carter said. I squinted up at the sun, and the Zord flying towards it. After a few seconds, it came back down and unfolded into a small humanoid Zord which landed on top of us. "What's he up to?" Carter asked.

"This is the Max Solarzord. It's been built for the Titanium Ranger," Miss Fairweather explained.

"But, Ryan, it's not safe," Carter protested. "You shouldn't morph."

"Oh no!" Dana exclaimed, and I remembered the cobra.

"Falkar's ready to attack again," Chad said.

"But Ryan, are you okay?" Dana asked anxiously.

"I'm fine. Let's take care of business," Ryan replied.

Falkar roared and leaped towards the Max Solarzord. The Megazord lifted off, spun briefly back into rocket mode for momentum, and kicked the demon in the stomach. Spinning, Ryan kept up his attack.

"Alright, Ryan!" Dana said, as Falkar was driven back.

"Look at him go!" Kelsey exclaimed.

"He's awesome," Henry said.

"He's phenomenal," Carter added. The Max Solarzord whirled towards Falkar, who toppled.

"Hey, Ryan! How about a little boost!" Carter shouted. We raised the Megazord's right arm, and punched the Max Solarzord towards the demon.

"Locked—fire!" Ryan shouted. Was it just me, or did he sound like he was in pain? The Max Solarzord fired at Falkar, destroying him. Thunderon charged in from the right, roaring, and shot the Max Solarzord. After an agonizingly long moment, Ryan's Zord raised its arm and fired a beam of light at the demon, blasting it to atoms.

"Wow! That was an incredible job, Ryan!" Carter exclaimed.

"Yeah, good one!" Dana added. There was no reply.

"Ryan? Ryan, are you there?" Carter asked. "Ryan, can you hear me? Please respond. Ryan!"

Dana leaped out of her seat and was outside the Megazord before I'd even realized what she was doing. Followed by Carter, I jumped out and ran to the Max Solarzord. Please, please, please don't let him be dead!

When we got inside, Dana had taken Ryan's helmet off and was checking his vital signs. He was unconscious.

"Is he okay?" I demanded—though since you don't check a dead person's heartbeat, the fact that she was doing that was already a relief.

"He's alive," Dana said. That wasn't what I'd asked. Not good. "We've got to get him back to the Aquabase."

"I'll guide you back," Miss Fairweather said over our comms. The Max Solarzord came back to life, and Dana steadied Ryan as it shuddered into motion. I clutched at the console, and realized that I was shaking.

* * *

><p>At the Aquabase's infirmary, Ryan was lying in bed. Miss Fairweather was scanning him, with Dana's help. I didn't know how to use all of the equipment, plus they didn't need any more hands, so I just sat in the corner and felt miserable.<p>

"Miss Fairweather, the Max Solarzord…is totally awesome," Ryan said.

"Never mind about that. You've got to get some rest." Miss Fairweather said. "That was some crazy stunt you pulled back there."

"Do you think Dad's going to be mad at me?" Ryan asked, looking from Dana to me.

"I don't know," Dana said.

"Sometimes Dad can be very strict," I added, and bit my knuckle as I remembered a few of the less pleasant moments of my life. We heard Dad's footsteps, and I looked around to see him enter the sickbay.

"I gotta go," Dana murmured, and looked at me. After a moment's hesitation, I got up and followed her. I mouthed "good luck" to Ryan as I passed, which earned a little smile from him.

We paused at the curtain as Captain Mitchell came around it, and Dana gave a tiny nod. Dad's face was completely expressionless, as usual. He turned towards Ryan, and we left.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p>


	17. The Cobra Strikes

A Shade of Orange

The Cobra Strikes

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Co-Written By Michelle the Editor

Disclaimer: Power Rangers owns Saban. I own only Jane and Henry.

* * *

><p>I ducked Henry's punch and aimed a kick at his chest, but he deflected it. Backing up, I lunged for him, and we punched and blocked rapidly for a few seconds. Finally he caught my wrists, and we both panted. We were sparring in the Aquabase's training room, with bits of conversation mixed in.<p>

"Where's Ryan?" Henry asked.

"With Miss Fairweather, checking the cobra," I replied as I punched him. He caught the blow.

"Jane, I know you can hit better than that," he said. I sighed and backed up, swiping my sweaty hair out of my face.

"One more fight could kill him," I muttered. Henry awkwardly clapped me on the shoulder. I smiled weakly, and the alarm sounded.

"Rangers, go to alert status," My Dad said over the speaker. We darted out of the training room, and were quickly joined by the others. In the hallway, we ran past Ryan and Ms Fairweather.

"What's going on?" Ryan called.

"Diabolico's back!" Joel yelled back. Before we rounded the corner, I glimpsed the look on my brother's face, and had a sinking feeling.

"Rangers!" Diabolico shouted, as we skidded into the city, morphed and ready.

"Diabolico, don't you get it? We destroyed your monsters; don't make us destroy you too!" Carter shouted.

"I'd like to see you try," Diabolico retorted.

"Fine! Rescue Blasters," Carter ordered. We drew the Rescue Blasters and fired at the demon, but he disappeared. We paused.

"Where did he go?" Joel asked.

"No idea," Chad replied. Carter glanced around.

"Look out!" Carter yelled-just as Diabolico slammed all of us flat with his staff.

"You Rangers can't defeat me." Diabolico laughed, stopping and appearing in front of us.

"Don't count on it!" Carter retorted, as we struggled back to our feet.

"Yeah, we'll defeat you!" Dana shouted.

"Ha! You Rangers may have gotten lucky in defeating Thunderon, Demonite and Falkar, but let's see you handle them all together!" Diabolico taunted, raising a handful of crystals.

"What?" Joel asked, as Diabolico tossed the crystals. A single monster appeared with a flash of light, formed out of Thunderon, Demonite and Falkar. They-it-laughed.

"Oh man, these clowns again!" Joel cried.

"Not again!" Kelsey protested.

"Meet Trika, and your destruction, Rangers!" Diabolico rumbled gleefully.

"Oh man, this is not good!" Joel said, as we backed up.

"You think?" Chad asked sarcastically.

"You've got that right, Rangers!" Trika rumbled. He whirled and attacked us, sending us flying. Landing and turning back to us, the demon laughed. "You Rangers will be defeated easily!"

"Don't bet on it," Kelsey snapped, springing to her feet.

"We won't go down that easily!" Dana added, pulling me up with her.

"Oh, trust me, Rangers; you barely defeated me when I was Thunderon, Demonite and Falkar, but you can't defeat me now!" Trika retorted.

"Oh, trust me, Trika, my friends and I will defeat you," Henry retorted, dropping into a fighting stance.

Laughing, the demon attacked again. We charged in ones and twos, the Graysons in the lead. Roaring, Trika batted us aside like rag dolls. I took a blow to the shoulder and hit a brick wall full-on. My morph vanished and my vision whited out for a second.

Wheezing, I crawled around behind a cluster of barrels, where I discovered the others. Dana pulled me in, and we just looked at each other in breathless dismay. Trika's laughter rang all around us.

We were all seated in the Rescue Rover, brooding over our injuries as it rose into the transport bay. Hearing familiar footsteps, I looked around as Captain Mitchell strode in.

"Is everybody all right?" He asked. Kelsey nodded, as she climbed off the seat behind me.

"Yeah, we're okay" she answered.

"But we sure got our butts kicked out there," Joel added. We followed the Captain out. "We were barely even able to beat those three monsters separately!"

"I don't know how we're going to do it with their powers combined!" Carter added.

"Dana," Ryan's voice came from behind us, stopping my sister and me in our tracks. We turned, and Ryan gripped Dana's shoulders. I was secretly glad he left me alone; I was pretty sure Trika had sprained my shoulder. "Are you guys okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry about us," Dana assured our brother.

"You should be resting!" I added firmly. Glancing back, I saw the others disappear around a corner, and caught Dana's hand. We hurried after them, leaving Ryan standing in the hall.

* * *

><p>As usual, it didn't take long for Trika to return. He chuckled as we arrived, piling out of the Rescue Rover and lining up to face him.<p>

"Let's do it," Carter commanded. "Rescue Blasters, Baton Mode!" Twirling his Baton, Carter strode towards the monster. "You may think you have beaten us," the Red Ranger said, "but you're sadly mistaken!"

"We don't think we've beaten you!" Trika responded. "We know it!"

Henry and Carter charged, both slashing at the monster from either side. Trika caught the blows and threw them back at us, and we caught the pair. Joel and Chad followed, and we three girls leaped over their shoulders to attack. Whirling, Trika knocked us all back, and followed it up with an energy blast.

The monster continued gloating as he advanced on us, and we tried to get back up. There were scorch marks all over my suit, and I could feel burns growing beneath them. Henry grabbed me by the arm and dragged me up.

"_Carter..."_ it was Ms. Fairweather's voice, coming through his morpher. "_Re-energize your morphers!"_ We did as instructed, and immediately another morpher-like device appeared on our right wrists.

"Woah," Carter breathed in amazement.

"_These are your battle boosters,"_ Ms. Fairweather explained. "_They will intensify your physical strength and powers, as well as your weapons."_

"Alright!" We grinned.

"Battle Boosters!" We shouted. "Battle ready!"

"Four-seven-eight!" Carter said, tapping the code in. "Activate!"

Trika tried to blast us, but we dodged. Leaping through the explosion, Carter charged the demon. The monster swung his sword defensively, but Carter caught his blade and tore it out of his hands. The sword clattered to the ground.

"Impossible!" Trika exclaimed in disbelief, just before Carter slammed his fist into its chest plate and sent it staggering back. As sparks and smoke poured out of its body, we regrouped.

"These things are amazing!" Carter exclaimed.

"I'll say!" Henrycried.

"Five-Five-Five! Activate!" I announced, going straight to the next attack.

"Booster beams!" Carter finished. We followed suit, and aimed the lasers at the monster. With the combined energies of the Booster Beams, Trika finally exploded.

"You'd think they'd learn. You can't beat the Power Rangers!" Carter said with an audible grin.

Diabolico reappeared, directly in front of us. Even though his face didn't show much emotion, we could all see he was seething with fury.

"This is far from over!" he growled.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Henry asked, folding his arms. As if the Purple Ranger's words were a trigger, Diabolico started to grow.

"What I should have done a long time ago," he said, his voice deepening as he grew. "Destroy you!"

"You had to ask," I said to Austin. He shrugged helplessly.

Calling forth the Supertrain Megazord, we took to our Zords and quickly combined them. The battle began fiercely; hit after hit echoed through the city, and within seconds Diabolico had hurled the Megazord to the ground.

As we frantically tried to get the Megazord back on its feet, I finally realized that this fight just might decide the war. If we lost now, then all Mariner Bay would be no more...closely followed by the world. As Diabolico's staff slashed down through the air, Carter swung the Megazord's arm and caught it just in time.

"Don't you know when to give up?" the gold demon growled.

"Yeah," Carter responded. "Never!" Throwing the staff back, we forced the Megazord back to its feet.

"Well, then," Diabolico growled. "Let me show you real power!"

The star on his chest glowed brightly, and an energy blast erupted and hit the Supertrain Megazord directly in the chest. It faded, leaving a gaping hole right through the Zord. With our energy levels dropping, we stumbled backwards. I felt the Megazord tilt backwards just before it fell completely, and an explosion blinded us.

_"...We're sending in the Rescue Zords,"_ my Dad's voice sounded over the intercom.

"What? The Rescue Zords?" Joel asked.

"Does that mean we have to abandon the Supertrain?" Chad asked.

Carter nodded. "We've got no choice. Come on!" The Rescue Zords arrived, and we switched Zords. I glanced back at the Supertrain Megazord, and then at Diabolico. Worse and worse.

"Megazord mode! Lightspeed!"

"Lightspeed Saber!" Dana commanded. "Ignite!"

But not even our fire attack fazed Diabolico.

"Not even your puny Saber can stop me!" he growled. "All your pathetic weapons put together are no match for me, for I, Diabolico, am invincible!"

And with that, he used his star power to blast us through another building. I was nearly thrown out of my seat by the impact. Stomping towards us, Diabolico drew himself together for the final, fatal strike.

Then, much to Diabolico's surprise, and ours, his blast was knocked off course.

"What was that?" He roared.

"Max Solarzord, back in action and at your services!" Ryan sounded over the com. My heart leaped into my throat.

"Ryan?" Carter asked incredulously.

"_Ryan? You can't be up there!"_ Captain Mitchell shouted. _"What about the cobra?"_

"It's okay, Dad, the Cobra's history! And so is the curse!" Relief shot through me, and I nearly fell down.

"Excellent," Dana grinned.

"Thank heaven!" I added.

"Initiating Lightspeed Solarzord sequence!" the Red Ranger reported. "Three-Five-Six! Activate!"

The two Megazords created a new combination, and turned a new attack upon Diabolico. But whatever we threw at him, he showed no signs of damage; the only thing they did was make him mad. After one final laser strike, the golden demon disappeared for no apparent reason.

"Did we get him?" Ryan asked hopefully.

Carter shook his head. "I don't think so," he answered "It seemed too easy." Out of the smoke, Diabolico reappeared.

"All you have done with your pathetic attacks is make me angry!" he growled.

"How could he have survived that?" Carter demanded.

"I told you, I am invincible!" Diabolico answered. "But you're not!" He blasted us once more with his star power. But instead of being destroyed, the Lightspeed Solarzord came out unscratched, and the solar panels on the outside lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Power levels are going crazy!" Chad exclaimed.

"We must have absorbed all the energy he threw at us!" Ryan replied.

"_That's right, the panels are absorbing the energy,_" Ms. Fairweather said.

"What should we do?" Henryasked.

"I don't know," I replied. "Any ideas back there?"

"_Ryan! Divert the energy to the weapons!"_ Miss Fairweather ordered.

Ryan did as instructed, and we prepared themselves for the final attack. Diabolico, surprised by the sudden turn of events, reacted exactly as we expected: by standing helplessly in disbelief. A volley of lasers pounded him, and his staff clanged to the street. As ripples of energy rolled through him, the gold monster managed to point at the Megazord and growl out his final words.

"You have done the impossible...defeated the mighty Diabolico...but you had best beware! My mother will repay my demise a thousand times over!" Another ring of energy rippled through him, and throwing out his arms, Diabolico exploded.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, the Aquabase had been transformed into one big party.<p>

"I can't believe it!" Kelsey exclaimed. "No more Diabolico!"

Dana grinned in agreement. "And best of all-" she turned to Ryan, who stood beside us, "No more-"

"Cobra!" Ryan, Dana and I finished together, eliciting joyful laughter from everyone.

Then a shrill whistle cut through the air. Clapping my hands over my ears, I turned a glare on Joel. The Green Ranger smiled sheepishly as Captain Mitchell entered, and the other Lightspeed officals stood at attention.

"Thank you, Joel. I'd like to propose a toast," Captain Mitchell addressed us. "Here's to Mariner Bay, as of now the safest city on the-"

He was cut off by a red alert coming through. We exchanged looks: Diabolico was gone, so why was there an alarm?

"That's a drill, right?" Carter asked. Captain Mitchell turned to look at him.

"We don't have drills," he answered grimly. "Let's move!"

Abandoning everything, we took to the city immediately. The problem was easy to find: a vortex of darkness swirled over the financial district. Gathering with frightened civilians in the park, we turned our gazes skyward as as a blue face formed among the clouds.

"Hello Rangers!" The face purred.

"I thought you were destroyed!" Ryan shouted. Kelsey turned to him.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"Queen Bansheera!" Ryan exclaimed. "She's worse than ten Diabolicos!"

"My oldest son proved himself unworthy," Queen Bansheera's voice echoed down to us, "but I assure you, my youngest will not!"

And from the clouds descended an enormous red cocoon, which rested on top of one of the skyscrapers

"Behold my heir!" Bansheera continued, "and your destruction!" With that she disappeared, leaving the cocoon to rest. All we could do was look at the thing, waiting for whatever doom it brought along.

* * *

><p>Please review<p> 


	18. Olympus Ascends

A Shade of Orange

Olympius Ascends

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Guest-writer: Aaron "Cyber V" Thall

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I own Jane and Henry.

* * *

><p>As we tore through the streets in the Rescue Rover, we could see the gigantic cocoon flying through the skies, unleashing eldritch energy in the form of lightning blasts. One suddenly lashed out directly at us, and Carter barely swerved out of the way in time to save us.<p>

He wasn't quite as lucky as a second blast made him swerve much more violently. The sudden jolt ripped us all free of the Rover's harnesses, and we were thrown to the rubble-strewn streets in a heap.

"Okay, that wasn't fun..."

We started to pull ourselves up when another blast lashed out blindly, striking at a construction site to our left. Rubble began to rain down on the workers. One fell from scaffolding and landed roughly. I winced.

"Ryan! Jane! Go help those people! We'll handle the cocoon!" As always, Carter didn't hesitate to split the team up when it was necessary. We may have been exhausted after fighting Trika and Diabolico, but when you're a Ranger, there's no rest for the weary.

"You've got it!" Ryan immediately ran towards them.

"Wait for me!" I rushed behind him. Behind me, I heard the others make the call and transform. I wished I was with them, but saving lives came first.

We reached the workers in seconds, and I pulled out a first aid kit I'd gotten used to carrying with me. The man hat had fallen had the worst of the injuries, a broken arm. I immediately began seeing to it while Ryan checked the others for anything we may have missed at a glance.

"Don't worry," said Ryan. "They're tough. The others can take care of themselves."

"I know. I just want to hurry and get over there so they don't HAVE to, Bro."

Suddenly, there was a massive explosion in the distance. We exchanged glances. The workers weren't in anymore danger, so we ran towards the sounds of battle. As we got close, we realized it was far, far too quiet.

Ryan saw why first.

"CARTER!" Carter, still morphed, was lying amid some crates. I didn't see any sign of the others. He rushed over and pulled Carter up. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay, but... THE OTHERS!" Carter pulled free of Ryan and ran for the workfield where they'd been battling. Knocking over a barrel, he called out to them. "DANA! CHAD! JOEL! KELSEY! HENRY! WHERE ARE YOU? AHHH!" He suddenly grasped his arm, clearly hurt.

"We'd better get back to the Aquabase. Maybe we can track them there." They both reluctantly nodded, and we made our way back to the Rover. We drove back in silence, lost in our own dark thoughts.

I looked at Carter, who was clearly troubled. Between Dana and Henry, I wasn't sure whose disappearance worried him more... I couldn't be sure for myself, either.

* * *

><p>"I don't remember much about Olympius," said Ryan. "I was so young."<p>

"You've got to try!" Dad, much as I loved him, had a tendency to state the obvious on occasion. This was going to be one of those times.

"Yeah... Unfortunately, the books I studied only mentioned Impus. I can't help with anyone new." I added.

Carter looked up from the scans of the city. "Still no sign of the others."

Ryan turned back to Dad and Carter. "All I know is that Queen Bansheera gave Diabolico the Star Power. Her son Impus was next in line to receive it. It transformed him into Olympius."

"Which means he has as much power as Diabolico had!" Carter was even more concerned now than before. Not a good sign.

"He's young, but once he learns how to use the Star Power... He'll have even more." I hated it when a tough villain was going to get stronger.

A signal began beeping. One of the base workers looked up from a scanner and rushed over to Dad and Carter. "We've picked up a signal... It's Chad!"

"I'm on it!" Carter immediately ran off towards the Rover, intent on getting our friend back.

* * *

><p>They were back soon, and Carter filled us in.<p>

"Chad was near where the cocoon landed." Carter said to my father.

"Fine," said Dad. "I want you to send out the search parties. Two groups to the south, two to the west."

"What about east and north, Dad?" I asked my father.

"Not just yet, Jane. We'll call for reinforcements if we need it." My dad replied back.

"Let's go," said Carter as we followed Dad down the corridor.

"Tell them to sweep the entire vicinity," said Dad.

"HEY!" A voice said to us.

We turned, startled, to see Kelsey running up.

"KELS!" Ryan grinned.

"You made it back!" Carter looked relieved as well.

"Dana, Henry, and Joel, too! Safe and sound!" Kelsey said to us.

"Well, that's a relief!" Carter said.

I wanted to feel relieved, but why hadn't she checked in with us if she'd gotten back? Weird.

"So, uh... I guess you can call off that search party now, huh?" The hairs on the back of my neck rose slightly. Why would she say that? A look at Carter's face told me he felt strange, too.

"Absolutely," said Dad. "Now we can focus on Olympius."

We began to walk away, but then Carter and I both turned and looked back at Kelsey, who was headed the other way.

"Hey, Kels," said Carter. She turned to face us. "How did you know about the search party?"

"Well, I just assumed you'd send one out to find us. Right?" Kelsey asked Carter and me.

"Right." We were less than convinced, but it made sense.

"Gotta go!" Kelsey turned away and started off.

Having heard that the others were back, I was naturally relieved. Still, there was nothing like seeing with your own eyes, right? So I went looking and found Dana hugging Dad and walking away with a strange look on her face.

"Dana?" I asked my sister.

She walked right past me, like she didn't even recognize me. And after hearing about Impus's evolution, there was no telling what effect he might have had on her.

I followed closely behind, and Dana went around a corner. I waited a few seconds and turned it as well, only to see Henry instead!

"Henry! I'm so glad you're okay!" I said to Henry.

"Ummm... Yeah... It was kinda weird. But it's over now, right?" Henry replied.

I looked into his eyes... and realized he was missing the familiar twinkle I knew so well. I hesitated, and he knew it. He narrowed his eyes... and lunged at me!

"LIGHTSPEED-" I started to call out my morph, but he clamped his hand on my morpher and twisted my arm behind my back before I could finish. Then, in a voice I didn't recognize, he spoke to me.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, little girl. Next time, leave the fighting to the warriors." Olympus said.

He placed his hand over my face, and it all went dark.

"Oh wow! I can't believe it! A reality where there were EIGHT Lightspeed Rangers? That's so cool!"

The voice seemed distant. Impossibly so. Still, I couldn't quite get a mental grip on it.

"And the way those extra Zords attach to the Lightspeed Megazord... Impressive, if a bit primitive in design..."

"JANE!" A voice said to me.

My eyes snapped open, the first voice gone, replaced by that of a female security member. I looked around, groggy, and realized I was in a broom closet. The security guard helped pull me out. I leaned on her for a moment, unable to focus on anything but her nametag, which read Mai Pei.

"Miss Fairweather, I've found Jane! She was locked in a broom closet. She must've had an encounter with Olympius! No, she's okay, just groggy."

"I'll be okay. Henry... He-" I said until I was interrupt by the security guard.

"He and the others are fine. They're fighting one of the demons right now! Ryan's waiting in the Zord bay in case they need backup."

"Then that's where I'm going." I replied back Mai Pei.

I pulled myself off her shoulder and ran for the Zord Bay, activating my Morpher as I went.

"LIGHTSPEED RESCUE!" I shouted.

I changed instantly, and reached the bay in seconds. I saw Ryan waiting, looking relieved.

"JANE! Thank goodness! I thought he'd gotten you, too!" Ryan said to me.

"Apparently, he didn't think I was important enough. Let's show him how wrong he was!" I replied back to my brother.

Ryan nodded and ran for the Solarzord's cockpit, while I made my way to Rail Rescue Six. The alarms began to blare, and we felt the Bay rising to the surface. In seconds, we were on our way.

"Thank god you're okay!" I said as the Rail Rescues arrived. I could already see the others rushing towards the trains. Having beaten Ryan there, we immediately formed Lightspeed Megazord.

"I'm on my way!" Ryan said as Max Solarzord landed next to us. Immediately, some kind of crab monster began firing energy blasts at us.

"Show 'em what you've got, Ryan!" said Carter.

"Let's show them some Titanium power!" Max Solarzord began unleashing a series of powerful spinning kicks, and I inwardly wondered why the Lightspeed Megazord couldn't do that, too.

The monster hit the ground hard, and Carter didn't waste the opportunity.

"Initiate Lightspeed Solarzord!" Carter said.

"Initiating!" Ryan confirmed.

We instantly began the combination sequence, forming together in seconds.

"Let's nail this sucker!" Henry shouted, clearly excited to be back in action.

"FULL POWER... NOW!" The Lightspeed Solarzord wasted no time, unleashing our full firepower on the crab monster, which fell back and blew up in a rather satisfying manner. Too bad it wasn't Olympius.

* * *

><p>It had been a long, trying day between Trika, Diabolico, and Olympius's deception. Even though I knew the others were scheming to rag on Carter for getting fooled by Olympius, I opted to pass on it. I just gave Dana the biggest hug I could manage and left. Exhausted, I went back to my room and collapsed on my bed. I was out like a light before I even hit the pillow.<p>

"Oh come on, Doctor Manx! It's completely safe!"

The voice again. A girl? My age? Maybe a bit older? And who was Dr. Manx?

"You're overreacting! The odds of it doing anything to damage time and space are virtually nonexistent!"

Whoever she was, she was certainly defensive about what she was doing.

"What else am I gonna do? With my arm broken, I can't go out and fight with the others! I'm going stir-crazy here!"

How did she get hurt? Who is this girl? Why would she be fighting?

"Yeah yeah, it's my own fault for being stubborn about climbing out of a mile deep pit. But how else was I supposed to get over my fears?"

Stubborn steak. Definite stubborn streak.

"So it's an order then? FINE! Rassum frassum..."

I began to stir. Whoever the girl was, she wasn't normal. The way she behaved, her obvious scientific knowledge... She was brilliant and immature at the same time. A real spitfire. A dangerous combination.

"Blast it... Now what am I supposed to do for a Ranger fix? Later, Orange."

My eyes snapped open and I sat up, terrified. That was no dream. I looked around, but I couldn't see any sign of an intruder. Realizing I was covered in a cold sweat, I forced myself to calm down.

"Is anybody there?" I asked.

No answer. Naturally. The voice... My visitor... was gone, and with it, any answers it might have provided.

I looked out the porthole at the ocean surrounding me. Like a fish in a bowl, someone was watching me... And I had no idea why.

I didn't get back to sleep that night, and it would be days before I slept peacefully again. The voice was out there. Somewhere... And I knew, in my gut... That our paths would soon cross.

* * *

><p>Please Review<p> 


	19. Face from the Past

A Shade of Orange

Face from the Past

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Guest-writer: Aaron "Cyber V" Thall

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I own Jane and Henry

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><p>Sitting at the morning meeting, the only thing stopping me from yawning was the sound of incoming chaos as Kelsey, running late again, came skating into the room, knocking into people left and right and, as always, leaving a fiasco in her wake. She skid to a stop as she landed in her seat, which we'd long since taken to positioning right by the entrance to the hallway to keep her from smacking into the conference table.<p>

"Woo! Looks like I made it just in time!" She grinned as she looked at us. "So, what's so urgent?"

Carter just shrugged. "We were hoping you would know."

Right on cue, the door to Dad's office opened, and he stepped into the conference room. We immediately stood at attention.

"Rangers, I have a very important assignment for you." My dad said to us.

I couldn't help but be amused as Kelsey did her best to hide her skates behind her back. Good luck with THAT one, Kels.

"I want you... to take a day off." My dad added.

Joel didn't buy it.

"Ha ha ha! Nice joke, Captain." Joel said to my dad. Then, it dawned on him that Dad didn't make jokes. "You're kidding, right?"

"Absolutely not. You've all been working very hard and you deserve it. Do anything you want! Dismissed!" My dad said to us.

Energy immediately flowed through the others. They immediately began to celebrate. I stifled another yawn, needing a break more than the others could begin to imagine.

"Yeah, let's go to the beach!" Chad, as always, found any excuse to go swimming.

* * *

><p>In no time at all, we hit the beach. Joel immediately attracted several teenage girls and began giving out autographs. As Carter would say... What a hot dog. Chad and Kelsey had immediately begun surfing. They were already coming up after their first run.<p>

"The waves are great today!" And he would know. I sometimes wondered if his Ranger helmet ever got waterlogged.

Dana was busy burying Ryan up to his head. I half suspected she was going to next cover his head with the bucket.

"Yeah," he said. "I wish I could try them!"

"Look at Joel!" exclaimed Dana. "He's at it again!"

Henry shook his head. "Are you REALLY surprised?"

"...No." Dana replied back.

I laid out my blanket and set up my umbrella. I just laid down, but I didn't close my eyes. I didn't dare. Henry glanced at me and frowned softly.

"Hey, are you all right, Jane?" Henry asked me.

"Yeah..." I yawned, but again refused to close my eyes. Dana glanced at me, and worry came over her face.

"Sis? You're not all right. You look completely exhausted. Have you even been sleeping?" Dana asked me.

She came over and checked my eyes, which I already knew were bloodshot.

"No... Not really." I replied back to my sister.

"Are you sick? Do you need a doctor?" She moved to take my temperature, but I pulled away.

"No... It's just... Well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Heck, I'm not sure if you guys believe me."

Henry knelt down next to me.

"What's wrong, Jane?" Henry asked me.

"I... I've been hearing something lately. A voice. A girl's voice. Every time I go to sleep." I replied back.

"A voice?" Ryan strained to look my way, but he was too deeply buried to pull it off.

"Yeah. I've been hearing her ever since Olympius locked me in that broom closet. It's like this girl... whoever she is... She's watching me."

"Are you sure you're not just imagining her?" Chad seemed concerned. Kelsey just looked creeped out.

"No... No, she's too well-defined... Undisciplined, stubborn, smart as can be... Maybe even smarter than Miss Fairweather. I think she's some kind of fighter, too. She was having a conversation with someone named Doctor Manx. I couldn't hear that one, though. Just the girl. And she's fascinated by what she's seeing."

Dana looked at Ryan. "Could Olympius have done something to her? A spell, maybe?"

Ryan shook his head. "I doubt it. He's too new to his powers to do anything that subtle."

"Do you think she's dangerous?" I looked at Henry. I thought about the voice, and realized that I didn't sense anything malicious behind her.

"No. No, I don't." I replied back.

"Then close your eyes and get some sleep. We'll talk to the Captain when we get back, and see if we can't find out where this voice is coming from." Henry replied back.

I wasn't sure I wanted to take the chance, but I could already feel myself starting to drift off. I'd been up far too long as it was, and I couldn't fight it any longer. Before I knew it, I was asleep... And the voice immediately came back. But this time, it wasn't alone.

"Don't you think you're rushing into this whole marriage thing?" That wasn't the voice I knew. This one sounded a bit younger, and was far softer-spoken. I instinctively knew this voice was friendly.

"Well, considering the hell I've been going through lately, I really don't wanna wait." THAT was the voice I'd come to know. "I mean, what Winters did..."

Who was Winters? What happened? Clearly, time had passed for the voice. How much, I couldn't begin to guess.

"You should at least be getting some rest... For god's sake, you just came back from the-"

"I'm too excited to sleep!" The voice was clearly excited. But what was it the other one had been about to say? "I've wasted so much time already because I couldn't see what was right in front of my face."

"So instead, you're messing with that Reality Viewer again? Kat told you to leave it alone. It's dangerous!"

"No, it isn't. It's perfectly safe. I've tested everything, and it's working just fine. Look, I've even dialed in my favorite view, and nothing's happening that I can see."

A Reality Viewer? What in the world was that? Where the heck were these voices coming from?

"You're playing with fire. If Kat or Cruger find out about this, you're gonna be in serious trouble!"

"So they won't find out. I'll be careful."

"You're NEVER careful We-"

"WAKE UP!" My eyes snap open at the sound of Dana's voice. I see Kelsey, Joel, and Chad digging Ryan out. I sit up and see Henry throwing our gear back into the Rescue Rover.

"What's going on?" I asked Henry.

"There's been an explosion at the power plant! Our day off just got cut short!" Henry replied back.

I shook my head, clearing the cobwebs from my mind. I'd been so close to learning the name of the voice, but now it was gone again.

Ryan was finally free of the sand. Not wanting to waste time, we ran for the Rover.

"LIGHTSPEED RESCUE!" We shouted.

"TITANIUM POWER!" My brother shouted too.

It only took us a few minutes to reach the plant. Already, Carter and Dad were there, helping the firefighters with rescue efforts. We rushed to join them, Dana stopping to check on a worker.

"CAPTAIN MITCHELL! Do you read?" Miss Fairweather over the comm called.

"Go ahead." My dad answered to Miss Fairweather.

"Shockatron is now attacking the OTHER power plant!" THAT name raised my eyebrows. I'd always thought that specific demon was a bit out of place, considering his ability would mess with modern electronics, and there had been none in his day.

"Understood! Rangers!" My dad said to Miss Fairweather and turned to us.

The others looked up from their relief work.

"The monster is heading for another power facility! You've got to stop him! I've got things under control here! Now get going!" My dad ordered us.

We didn't need to be told twice!

"We're on it!" Carter said as he led the charge. In seconds, we were on the Lightspeed Cycles and headed into battle. I couldn't figure out why Ryan was posing while sitting in the Speeder, though. Maybe he thought it looked cool. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it was impossible to look cool sitting in a sidecar.

We turned a corner, and saw a barricade being set up by the Batlings. No way we were gonna get stopped by that!

"Let's get 'em!" Carter shouted. He revved his engine and sped forward, running down most of the Batlings before blasting the barricade away. We sped through, not even slowing down.

* * *

><p>As soon as we reached the plant, our scans located Shockatron. We rushed inside, ready to fight.<p>

"He's in this one!" Carter said to us.

"Rangers. How predictable!" We looked up and saw him on scaffolding above us.

"We're here to shut you down!" Carter, master of the obvious...

"That's ridiculous!" Shockatron boasted. "You'll never stop me! BATLINGS!"

The demonic minions were suddenly everywhere. I found myself grappling with two. Having no leverage as one grabbed me, I did the only thing I could and headbutted it. It staggered back, and I spun, nailing it in the head with a rapid kick before tying up the other with a quickly flung Rescue Rope. I saw Henry nearby, easily taking down three with his baton. In the chaos, I lost track of the others, but I heard a small blast as Shockatron joined the fray, forcing the others outside. We moved to join them instinctively.

We arrived just in time to see Ryan nail the creep in the back with the Titanium Axe. Carter followed up by summons the V-Lancers. We quickly joined them. Surrounding the monster, we attacked from all sides, two at a time. Even if he blocked two hits, there were two more waiting in the wings. He never stood a chance.

Finally, he tried to run. But it was no use. The others got him from behind, and as he landed, Carter charged in and slashed him as hard as he could. Shockatron fell and blew up in a nice little fireball. Good riddance!

Still, there was work to do.

"Come on! We've got to get back to the fire!" Again, Carter led the way, and we rushed for the Lightspeed Cycles.

* * *

><p>The second we arrived, I could tell something was wrong. A group of children were huddled together, being comforted by a teacher.<p>

"Don't worry, kids. The firemen will save Jenny!" The teacher said to her students.

Carter ran to the nearest fireman.

"Where's Captain Mitchell?" Carter asked the fireman.

"There's a little girl still missing! He went in to find her!" The fireman replied back to Carter,

My blood ran cold.

"Oh no..." Dana clearly felt the same chill I did.

"He'll need backup!" said Carter as he moved to join Dad in the inferno. The fireman grabbed him.

"Don't do it! It's too dangerous! That building's about to blow!" The fireman replied. Carter didn't listen to the fireman.

"I've gotta help him!" Carter pulled free and rushed inside.

"CARTER! BE CAREFUL!" Dana called out after him.

"Dad..." I muttered a silent prayer for the both of them and the girl.

It only took a moment before Carter reappeared atop the building, holding the girl. He leapt and landed gracefully on his feet. He rushed over to us.

"Carter! You've got her!" Dana was visibly relieved.

"Captain Mitchell got her." Carter replied.

"Jenny, are you all right?" The teacher knelt down to comfort the girl. Jenny nodded.

"Carter, where's my dad?" Dana was worried again. So was I, frankly.

"He's still inside!" The fireman replied to Dana.

"WHAT?" Ryan and I both started moving to go in, but Chad and Joel grabbed us.

"GET BACK!" Suddenly, the firemen started running, and the building erupted into a massive fireball.

"OH NO! CAPTAIN MITCHELL!" Carter shouted.

"DAD!" We Mitchell's siblings shouted

We ran towards the building, but we already knew there was nothing else we could do.

"CAPTAIN MITCHELL!" Carter shouted.

"NO!" Horrified, Dana fell to her knees. I knelt down and hugged her, as much to comfort her as to be comforted.

It was a waste of emotion and effort. Suddenly, a firehose got thrown over the edge of the building, and I heard a familiar grunt of effort. We turned and saw my dad climbing down the side, a bit crispy, but alive!

"I don't believe it!" Carter exclaimed.

"FATHER?" Dana and I got up, relieved. "Thank goodness!" We ran over to him. Dana and I hugged him as tightly as we could. "Oh, Father!"

"Don't DO THAT TO US!" I added.

"Nice work, Sir," Carter said.

"Is the girl okay?" My dad asked Carter.

Carter nodded. "Thanks to you, she is."

"Great job, Sir!" Joel added, impressed.

Ryan finally got his turn, hugging Dad.

"You are one crazy sonovagun," Henry said. "But you can definitely pull it off."

"Sir?" Carter began to ask Dad a question. "There's something I need to ask you."

Suddenly, the sound of bat wings flapping filled the air, and Kelsey turned to see what it was. "Oh no!"

Before our eyes, Shockatron suddenly reappeared as a giant version of himself!

"Guys, we've got big trouble!" Carter shouted

"Come on, guys," said Carter. "We've got work to do! RAIL RESCUES... ON TRACK!"

The Rail Rescues arrives almost immediately and released the Rescue Zords.

"Ready... GO!" They rolled forward into battle. "Blaster grips locked on!"

We immediately formed the Lightspeed Megazord and began sizing up Shockatron. It was time for round two!

Shockatron made the first move. Laughing, he leapt into the air and soared directly at the Megazord! Bad move! We caught him and flung him back like a rag doll! Not wasting a second, we began spinning and extended the ladder arms. We struck him twice before stopping and retracting the arms.

"This is for putting Dad in danger, creep!" I shouted. "FIRE!" I pressed the controls, and the helicopter blades shot out, slashing at Shockatron repeatedly before returning to the Megazord's arms.

"LIGHTSPEED MEGAZORD SABER... ONLINE!" Carter made the call, and the Saber appeared. "IGNITE!" We formed the blazing circle and slashed through it, nailing Shockatron and blowing him to kingdom come!

"YES! ALL RIGHT!" Clearly, Chad had enjoyed this one. That's what you get when you take the surfer out of the surf.

We returned to the beach, and I'd later find out what Carter had wanted to ask Dad... Dad told him the truth, that he had been the fireman to save him all those years ago. Of course, Dana and I had known all along, but he'd never asked, and it hadn't been our place to say anything.

* * *

><p>Dana, Kelsey, and Joel were playing with a Frisbee.<p>

"I've got it! I've got it!" Joel backed up to catch Dana's throw. He jumped up... But there was Carter, out of nowhere, intercepting the Frisbee.

We ran up to meet him.

"Hey, Carter!" Kelsey said. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my day off, too!" Carter replied back.

Dana gave him a bemused look. "You mean you're ACTUALLY here to have FUN?"

"No sea monsters or drowning victims?" Henry added.

"What, you guys think I don't know how to have fun?" Cater asked us.

Henry, Dana, and Joel all shook their heads. "No..."

He immediately began seeking retaliation, turning and grabbing a super soaker from our ice chest. He began chasing the others, firing wildly. I decided to pass on getting drenched. Especially as Chad grabbed the soaker from him, turning the tables.

I laid back down on my towel, thinking about the voice. Then, I felt a slight shaking. I sat up and looked around.

"What was that?" I asked myself

Another shaking sensation. The others hadn't noticed.

Instinctively, I just knew that the shaking had something to do with the voice.

What I didn't know at the time, though, was that the voice and the shaking were about to propel me into the biggest adventure of my entire Ranger career... With stakes I couldn't even begin to imagine, and consequences that would change everything for us... Forever...

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	20. Reality Quake

A Shade of Orange

"Reality Quake"

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Original and adaption written by: Aaron Thall

Special Guest Stars: Power Rangers Cyber V  
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* * *

><p>Previously: During Olympius's infiltration of the Aquabase, Jane began hearing a girl's voice, speaking as though the owner was observing her. She later heard the voice twice more before feeling a slight tremor.<p>

"For the last time, I feel fine, Miss Fairweather."

I groan inwardly as she shines a light into my eyes. After a few seconds, she removes it, confused.

"And yet you persist in claiming you've been hearing voices in your sleep, and feeling tremors when we can't detect anything. Dana told me you haven't been sleeping well. Perhaps the stress of being a Ranger is adversely affecting you somehow."

"No, that's not it. It's just that that girl... She's watching me. She said something about a 'Reality Viewer'."

Miss Fairweather gives me an incredulous look.

"That's impossible. Even if an alternate reality existed, the odds of being able to construct a device able to see them would be astronomical."

"But not impossible."

She sighs. "No, not impossible. Just improbable. I can't even begin to imagine how intelligent someone would have to be to design one. It's simply beyond our present capabilities."

"At least in THIS reality," I said with a smirk. Miss Fairweather chuckles... and then the entire Aquabase suddenly began rattling, as though it were being shook by a giant! The light sflicker for a moment and the alarms begin blaring. As it subsides, I look at Miss Fairweather. "Please tell me you felt that."

She nods, and we run for Ops, even as the call goes out. We reach Ops in seconds and see that the others have already arrived.

"Rangers, we have a worldwide crisis on our hands."

"Worldwide?" Carter couldn't believe it.

"The tremors we just experienced happened simultaneously around the entire planet. If we don't find and stop it at the source, and soon, we could be looking at the complete destruction of the Earth."

"Is it the demons?" asked Chad.

"We simply don't know. We can't pinpoint the source."

Another quake, stronger than the last, struck right then. Everything seemed to lurch to the side. I lost my balance... and it all went dark as I saw a console suddenly spark and explode.

* * *

><p>"Cruger's gonna KILL me..."<p>

The voice again... But it sounded closer this time. Slowly, I opened my eyes and took a look around. I wasn't in Ops. I wasn't anywhere I recognized! Debris was everywhere, and a machine far more advanced than anything I'd ever seen was toppled off to the side.

And standing over me were two people, just about my age. One, a girl with frizzy brown hair and glasses above her forehead, and the other, a guy with spiky brown hair, complete with blonde tips.

"Don't try to move. You've had a nasty shock." The guy, who was kinda cute, was checking my vital signs. Too bad I don't listen to strangers. I jumped to my feet and took up a fighting stance. Whomever these two were, I sure didn't know them. Fortunately, they both put their hands up, not wanting a fight.

"Where am I? And who are you?"

The girl stepped forward.

"Just calm down. You're on a military base called Fort Myers, in the city of Horizon."

THAT was impossible.

"What? But I was just at the Aquabase! Horizon's hundreds of miles away! And there's no military base there!"

The girl sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"I was running an experiment. There was a power surge and a quake. Or was that a quake and a power surge? Anyway, something went wrong... and suddenly you were here. Now please... Just try to relax... We're all Rangers here, right?"

My eyes drifted to their wrists, where I immediately noticed they were wearing Morphers... But ones that looked generations beyond mine. Slowly, hesitantly, I lowered my stance. There was only one way to find out what was going on. Cooperate.

"My name is Jake Taylor. This is my wife, Wendy. We're part of the Cyber V Rangers. And you are...?"

"Jane Mitchell. Lightspeed Rescue. Orange Ranger."

Then, I realized something, and my eyes went wide. I thrust a finger at Wendy.

"NOW I remember where I've heard that voice before! That was YOU! You were watching me on that device!"

Jake glanced at Wendy, who winced. Clearly, she was familiar with getting in trouble. Before I could learn more, the door to the room slid open, and a guy that looked a LOT like Carter stuck his head in.

"Emergency meeting in the War Room. That was no ordinary quake."

He glanced my way, then looked back towards Wendy.

"I don't want to know, do I?"

"You see nothing, you hear nothing, you know nothing."

"Whatever you did, Cruger's gonna KILL you. Come on!"

Both Wendy and Jake glanced at me.

"Just follow us. We'll get this figured out. I hope." Jake didn't sound too confident. I was less than reassured.

We quickly followed the newcomer, whom I quickly learned was named Jeremy, their Red Ranger. Jake was their Blue. Wendy was, of all colors, Grey. It didn't take long for us to reach what they called the War Room. However, as soon as we arrived, another quake struck. I steadied myself and waited it out. As it subsided, I finally looked around, amazed by all I saw. Like their morphers, their tech was ages ahead of what I was used to. The rest of their team, or so I assumed, was already gathered nearby.

Jake and Wendy had filled me in on the rest of their team on the way, so I immediately recognized the African American man as Walter, their Green. The young woman with Egyptian features had to be Wendy's surrogate sister Anya, Yellow. The man in purple was Wendy's twin brother Matt, who was their Purple. The blonde girl in pink that looked disturbingly similar to my sister from a distance was Cindy. Finally, there was their newest member, a youthful japanese man named Takuya, who was also known as Tornado. There was some bad blood between him and the rest of the group, but they were supposedly working on it. They didn't elaborate.

Even as Wendy ducked behind her husband and brother, my eyes fell upon two strange individuals on the far side of the room. One, a woman, seemed to be part feline. The other looked to be a giant lizard dog man.

But I did recognize the being on the screen... Delphine of the Aquitian Rangers.

"So you felt the quakes on Aquitar as well?" The dog man was deeply concerned.

"I am afraid it was felt on all known worlds. Triforia, Edinoi, Onyx, Miranoi, and any others that have contacted us. However, the quakes felt on these planets pale to the ones you are describing." Delphine's voice was oddly bubbily... and not in a happy sort of way. More of a gurgling.

"Which means that Earth's the epicenter of the disturbance."

Clearly, these two weren't human, and last I'd checked, monsters didn't live on Earth for long. I took a step forward, but felt a hand on my arm. I turn and see Jake shaking his head. Reluctantly, I forced myself to relax. I immediately heard Wendy breathe a sign of relief. Then, the feline woman spoke up.

"Doggie, I think I've located the source of the quakes... It's downtown Mariner Bay."

"It must be the demons!" I blurted out without thinking. Suddenly, all eyes were on me as Wendy cringed behind her brother and husband again.

"Oh, so she's NOT supposed to be here. I think I need a scorecard to keep track of everyone..." Takuya sighed. Clearly, he was still TOO new.

"What in- ...!" The dog man, who HAD to be this Cruger she'd been mentioning, bellowed. That made the other one the Dr. Manx I'd heard about briefly in my dreams. I watched as Wendy comically peeked out from behind Jake and Matt.

"yes sir?"

"We'll discuss your punishment later."

"...eep."

Walter spoke up. "Okay, what the heck's going on, and who is this?"

Jake answered. "The quake did something to Wendy's new Viewer. Jane here popped out."

"Would that be the same Reality Viewer Dr. Manx expressly forbid her to work on? The one she said could potentially disrupt reality if it malfunctioned?"

"Oh, Sister..." Anya shook her head in disbelief.

"Would it help if I said 'my bad'?"

Everyone, including me, shouted "NO!"

Wendy cringed again. I would have laughed if the circumstances weren't so serious.

"So much for any hope getting married would get her to settle down..." Cindy sighed. Clearly, not much time had passed since the wedding I'd heard them talking about.

"I swear, she gets worse by the day..." That comment came from her brother Matt. Suddenly I had the feeling I wasn't the only one to be annoyed with her on a regular basis. Still, it wasn't productive to be glaring at her.

"How I got here isn't important. All that matters is stopping the quakes. Frankly, if it's Mariner Bay, that means you need a demon expert, and I'm guessing I'm the only one here qualified for that job."

Wendy brightened considerably. "Does... that mean I'm NOT in trouble?"

Cruger put the kibosh on that immediately. "Oh, you're DEFINITELY in trouble, but you might have given us just the edge we'll need. Prep the Techno Flyer. We leave in 20. And Matt? We might as well fill her in on our other situation."

"I'll prep a data disk. Anya, if you'll do the honors?"

Anya motioned for me to follow her. I went along with it. After all, the talk of another situation had grabbed my interest.

"I fear you aren't going to like what I'm about to tell you..."

We quickly left the War Room. Anya led me down a long corridor, filled with military personnel and people wearing uniforms with the letters S.P.D. on them. I had a ton of questions, but I also had a feeling I wasn't going to have time toask them. Instead, Anya turned to me.

"Before I begin, I want to apologize on behalf on my sister. Her obsession with all things Ranger can lead her... astray at times. She genuinely meant you no harm."

"She's pulled stunts before?"

"You have NO idea. The Rangers are her entire life, and your appearance has rattled her a bit. So, only for her sake do I ask you to sign this."

She held up a piece of paper, and I felt me eyebrow raise.

"We do what we must for the ones we love."

I couldn't argue with that one. I pulled out a pen and signed the piece of paper before handing it back to Anya.

"Now, I'm afraid our true business is far less frivolous. My team and I are engaged in a desperate battle to save the entire multiverse from a madman known only as Kalask."

"Wait... There's a multiverse? I thought there was only ONE reality."

"There are COUNTLESS realities. The one you are in now was the first, the Prime Reality. All others, all possibilities, sprung forth from this universe. Including your's. Including Takuya's. Including mine."

"So... You and Takuya aren't from around here, huh? Wendy zap you, too?"

Anya chuckled at that. "No, but the stories are long ones."

She filled me in on her world. On how Kalask conquered her Earth and crushed it's heroes. She spoke of the resistance, and how she'd arrived in the Prime Reality, forming, along with her new siblings and their friends, the Cyber V Rangers. Over the last several months, they'd been waging battle with the newly arrived Kalask and his forces, always managing to win, but sometimes by very slim margins. Their only advantage was Kalask's twisted sense of fair play.

As Anya wound down, I could hear the rest of her team arguing up ahead.

"I SCREWED UP! I GET IT! LET IT GO ALREADY!"

"ENOUGH! We're all on edge, but this is no time to be arguing amongst ourselves!" Cruger definitely ran a tight ship.

"So, Anya, what became of your world?"

"It is almost certainly... destroyed."

"You mean... Your entire world is...?"

"No. My entire REALITY... Gone. And countless others."

The others were looking at us now.

"What kind of a monster IS this guy?"

"The worst kind... Human. One that thinks of his genocidal activities as a game."

"And that's not counting his pep squad of evil. Oh, and our OTHER enemy, who Kalask ALSO hates and actually helped us kill." Jake said that a bit too casually. I had a bad feeling I was about to learn more about this reality than I barganed for.

"You mean there's someone ELSE? What did THEY do?"

Wendy didn't disappoint as she began counting off this second enemy's deeds on her fingers.

"She locked me and my brother away from the rest of society for years, let us think we'd get to be Rangers, killed our parents, outed our... special status (don't ask. Spoilers.) on national television, tried to have us assassinated, tried to mind-control us, kidnapped a man and terrorized his family, sent a deadly monster into the city, tried to mind control us AGAIN, tried to kill us AGAIN, invaded the city with her minions, SUCCEEDED in mind controlling us, and when Matt and I broke free, she killed us. Other than that, not much, really."

That last part... THAT got me. I felt my jaw drop.

"She KILLED YOU? But you're not dead!"

"We got better. Long story. Really don't like to talk about it."

"We're just glad she's gone. Let's leave it at that." Jeremy was swiftly to the point. No doubt why he was the team leader.

I heard footsteps, and turned to see Matt running up holding a disk. He handed it to me without preamble.

"Jane, this disk contains all the data we have on Kalask. Once we get you home, you need to share this information with your team. If we fail, it may fall to you to prepare a new defense against him."

It was a big responsibility. I admit, I hesitated as I took it, but I slipped it into my vest pocket.

"You can count on me."

"I just pray that whatever preparations your team makes won't be necessary."

I couldn't argue that. Fighting demons was one thing, but someone capible of destroying an entire reality? I didn't want to even consider it.

It was time for the Big Dog to take charge again. "All right, now that we're all here, it's time to move out!"

We began boarding the massive plane behind us. The Techno Flyer was definitely impressive, I had to give it that. Already aboard, Takuya gave a sigh that said it was about time. Matt and Dr. Manx went to the cockpit while the rest of us strapped in. In seconds, a platform raised the Techno Flyer to ground level.

"Here we go!" Dr Manx's warning wasn't necessary. I could feel the boosters ignite and the plane taking off like a rocket. We were airborne before I could blink.

"It won't take long. So don't get comfortable." Ah, Matt. SUCH a charmer...

"You've all been through so much... It almost makes what I've seen seem trivial." I didn't even realize I'd said it out loud until Jeremy responded.

"You're fighting the good fight. That's all that matters. It isn't the size of the battle that's important... It's the courage of the  
>Ranger."<p>

I smiled at that, but I also glanced at Wendy out of the corner of my eye. She seemed to be studying me cautiously. Interested, I got up and sat down next to her.

"I don't bite, you know

"Sorry... Am I THAT obvious?"

"Not to someone blind, maybe. Anya said you're a Ranger expert, huh?"

"Yeah... Which is exactly why this is so akward. Jane... You don't exist."

Excuse me?

"Come again? I think I'd know if I was a figment of the imagination."

"No... I mean, you don't exist in this reality. You never did. Captain Mitchell only had TWO children. Lightspeed only had six Rangers in it's entire existance. Your birth was likely a divergence point, seperating your reality from this one."

"So you're saying my reality doesn't matter?"

Takuya spoke up. It was the most words I'd ever hear him say at one time.

"No. Every reality's as real as they come, and each one's important. Just because you're not from the PRIMARY Reality doesn't make your actions any less necessary."

Anya piped in as well. "Remember, Takuya and I are from alternate realities as well. Certainly, the actions we're taking matter, don't they?"

"It's just strange for me... I pride myself on my knowledge of the history of the Rangers, but with you, I'm in uncharted territory." Wendy sighed.

"And that bothers you?"

"A little, but it's exciting, too. But it also makes me wonder about all the other Rangers out in the multiverse that never came to be here. For all I know... I've probably not even scratched the surface. It makes me feel... kinda small, really."

"That, and you're dreading your impending punishment for accidentally bringing me here."

THAT got the reaction I wanted. She flopped like a Japanese anime star.

"Oh great. Now YOU'RE ragging on me, too..."

"You're very raggable, from what I've seen."

Seeing the way she acted, there was something I had to ask her.

"You're... not like the others, are you?"

"There's so many ways I could respond to that, I can't decide which way to go."

"The others seem kinda normal... You act like a cartoon character. No offense."

"No, that's fair. Honestly, Matt and I were cooped up on the base for years without much interaction with other people... He withdrew into himself... I became something of an extrovert showoff. When you're that lonely, you do anything just so people acknowledge that you exist. And even before that, we never really fit in anywhere. Matt tried to blend, but I just figured that if I was gonna be treateddifferently, I'd give people a reason to."

"Why'd you get treated differently? I mean, obviously, you're some kind of genius, but that shouldn't matter much."

"It's the REASON I'm a genius that people treated me differently. I can't really go into it... Spoilers, y'know? Stuff might happen in your world and telling you might adversely affect future events that may need to happen. Suffice to say... Matt and I have powers. Strength. Speed. Agility. Endurance. Senses. And our intellects. And the cause behind those powers scares people. A lot."

"Something terrible happened, didn't it?"

Wendy nodded. "Yeah. I wish I could tell you. Maybe you'll be lucky and it won't happen on your world. But if it does... Promise me you'll  
>stay safe? Every friend I have in the world is on this ship, and I'd hate to lose any of them... Including you."<p>

"I'm a Ranger. I don't do safe."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"Well, if whatever it is happens, I'll do whatever it takes to help people. It's why I became a demon expert... I wanted to help my Dad when the time came."

"And I'll bet your Lightspeed team's better off for having you."

"Maybe... I mean, your version had to have won without me, right?"

She seemed at a loss as to how to respond. Jeremy took over, sparing her the akwardness.

"What happened in our world doesn't matter. Things have already changed in your's, so there's no way of knowing how that'll affect the outcome for you."

"So you're saying that just because your version didn't need me... My version does?"

"Exactly. Who knows? Maybe if you'd been there for our version, things would've gone better. As it is, it's kinda obvious humanity survived, and you already know Mariner Bay's still there."

"So they won... And now it's my team's turn to do the same. So... If it doesn't matter what happened in your world... Why not tell me about this nastiness down the line? Maybe I could keep it from happening."

Jake smirked. "Don't ya hate it when someone makes a REALLY good point?"

The Rangers exchanged glances. They looked at Cruger, who nodded imperceptibly. Wendy started the reveals off.

"There's a shadow government program called Alphabet Soup. You need to find them and shut them down. If you don't, they'll kidnap young scientists like my brother and I, and use them to make weapons... One, a computer virus, will gain sentience, escape, and take over the world."

Then Jeremy. "It ruled the entire planet, turning gigantic chunks of it into a radioactive wasteland. Millions died, and more were enslaved to the virus's will. Only one city remained free, and it's Rangers fought a long, difficult battle to save humanity."

Then Cruger. "Once it was defeated, SPD and the Galactic Council came to Earth and helped the survivors rebuild their societies. Unfortunately, many people had been infected with the virus's technology. During the final battle, those people were used as sleeper agents against humanity."

Back to Wendy. "Matt and I are descendants of one or more of those agents. The tech's evolved to nanite form... A lot of people are  
>terrified that someday... That we'll turn and try to take over where the virus left off. Thankfully, we're the only ones whose nanites are active, so there's not much danger."<p>

Walter's turn. "Unfortunately, Alphabet Soup came back, and they've been after the Twins ever since. Hense the whole 'they died' thing. NOT one of our happier experiences. These guys are so bad that KALASK joined forces with us to take them down."

It was all too much to take. My head was spinning even more than when Anya told me Kalask killed entire realities. "...It... It can't be... An APOCALYPSE? There's gonna be an APOCALYPSE?"

Anya was quick to cool me down. "As we said, events have already changed in your reality. It might not occur at all. But now you're forewarned, and can actively make certain that it doesn't."

"But none of you would exist..."

Cindy shook her head. "A handful of people who wouldn't be born until after you were long gone anyway against millions, maybe billions of lives in the NEAR future? No contest."

Jake wrapped an arm around Wendy. "Granted, it's a damn tragedy if I don't get to meet my girl here..."

Takuya, clearly a man of few words and even less tact, spoke up. "If you're done tampering with her future, it might interest you to know that we're landing."

The Flyer landed quickly and opened up. As we began filing out, Wendy's eyes went wide.

"No way... This is where-" Her brother's hand clamped over her mouth. Either he'd missed our conversation back on the Flyer, or he'd felt it wasn't worth the risk regardless.

"I can't leave you alone for a single minute, can I?"

I saw Takuya shake his head and flick his wrist. A crystal appeared in his hand. It began glowing.

"The source of the mystical energy is directly below us."

You know the problem with finding the center of a disturbance quickly? It WLAYS means things are about tog et a whole lot worse. Even as Takuya said that, we got rocked by the biggest tremor yet. Cindy looked up and cried out.

"OH MY GOD! LOOK AT THE SKY!"

We all did as she said, and my jaw about hit the ground. Somehow... the sky was beginning to crack. That was... impossible.

"I don't need to state the obvious, do I? Let's move!" Takuya took his crystal and slashed at the ground. To my astonishment, it opened some kind of dimensional rift. Without even thinking about it, he dove through.

"Move out!" The Rangers followed Cruger's orders and followed Takuya through. I joined them, and felt the rift cose behind me. There was no going back now.

As I landed with the rest of the team, it was clear Takuya had started the party without us. Nine of the exact same demon were glaring at us hatefully. And behind them was a glowing cauldron, which gave me the creeps.

"INTRUDERS! But you're too late! The ceremony is nearly done!" Thanks to my research, I recognized the demon immediately.

"GATEKEEPER!" I shouted, realizing that Wendy was shouting it at the same time. Clearly, her knowledge of Ranger lore was the equal to my research of the demons. We exchanged a brief amused look, and then I continued. "He's the guardian of the demon netherworld! But there's so many of him!"

Wendy explained. "One must belong to OUR reality. He kinda got away. As for the rest..."

Takuya understood immediately. "Other versions of him. Kyubi can sense the magic that brought them here. They're trying to change history!" I didn't know what or who Kyubi was, and there was no time to ask.

"Well we're not gonna let that happen!" Jeremy stared down the Gatekeepers like a total pro. I was suddenly glad I was standing here with him and his team.

"Whoever you fools are, you've made a grave mistake in coming here! This cavern will become your tomb!"

"What we are is your worst nightmare... SUIT UP!" Cruger made the call. I felt obliged to lead the way.

"Ready?"

"READY!"

"LIGHTSPEED... RESCUE!"

"SPD... EMERGENCY!"

"CYBER OP ENERGIZE!"

"TECHNO OP ACTIVATION!"

"IT'S SPIN DRIVE TIME!"

In a flash, all of us transformed. Unfortunately, the Gatekeepers weren't impressed.

"RANGERS! Well now, that's an added bonus! Crushing you so-called heroes first will be a distinct pleasure! And you, girl, wear the uniform of my most hated enemies of all! Rending you limb from limb alone will make all my efforts worth it!"

"Charmed, I'm sure..."

He flicked his staff, and another quake hit. We were suddenly surrounded by mystical energies and a greenish smoke. As it all faded, it was obvious we weren't in the cavern anymore. Instead, it was a strange space that was half swamp, half graveyard.

"What in the world?" Anya looked around, confused.

"I don't think this is part of any world we know!" Dr. Manx looked around as well, trying to make sense of it.

"Welcome to my private dimension of death, Rangers! It's the last thing you'll ever see!" Gatekeeper was clearly a master of the overused line.

"Anybody else getting sick of the cliches he's spouting?" Jake cracked his knuckles.

"LET'S GET 'EM!" Walter was clearly ready for the fight.

"ATTACK!" Jeremy led the charge, and we all rushed at the Gatekeepers, almost instantly splitting up. I quickly lost track of the battle, focusing on the Gatekeeper I found myself fighting alongside Wendy. Even as we dodged his attacks, I heard the leader bragging to Jeremy.

"I've spent ages making myself stronger, and the magic of the Cavern increases my abilities tenfold!"

He then knocked Jeremy away like it was nothing. I wanted to go help, but I had problems of my own. The two of us were barely keeping ahead of the Gatekeeper, and it was quickly becoming clear that we had a serious problem. Dodging an attack and countering, Matt realized what it was.

"Strictly speaking, while we may have the numbers, they've got the advantage in sheer power!"

"This battle's tide is definitely against us!" Anya slammed her weapons, two short metallic staves, into her Gatekeeper. "We need an equalizer!"

Takuya was clearly their magic expert. "It's not the tide of the battle that's the issue, it's all the dark magic filling this place!"

"I hate to admit it, but Windy's right! What was it that first Gatekeeper said to Jeremy?" Wendy twisted to dodge a blast of energy.

"The Cavern's increasing their powers!" We both leapt back as he fired several more blasts at us. We flipped several times, and barely avoided getting blown to bits. It was time to go on the offensive! I summoned my Battle Booster.

"BOOSTER BEAM!" I let loose, nailing the Gatekeeper with an energy beam. Wendy decided to take advantage by unholstering her weapon, which seemed to just be a handle. She held down a button, and suddenly there was a long band of energy portruding from it. She proceeded to use it as a whip, snapping it at the Gatekeepeer repeatedly.

"GO DOWN ALREADY YOU BIG JERK!" He didn't feel like it. Instead, he blasted us both with his eyebeams. We landed on our feet, but it was a  
>close thing. We looked at the raging battle, and Wendy could only reach one conclusion. "We're not winning this one unless we change the rules of the game fast!"<p>

"If the Cavern's increasing their power, there has to be a power source, right?"

We both pinged to the answer at the same time. "THE CAULDRON!"

We both began searching, scanning with our helmets. I spotted it first. "THERE!"

Before we could move, however, there was an explosion, and Takuya was thrown far from his chosen opponent. He landed close to us and began using words I'd never heard before, and don't want to think about. Clearly, in this reality, people had gotten creative in their creation of invectives. He pulled himself up.

"I can sense it, too. All this negative energy... If we could just balance it out..."

Looking at their magic expert and their Ranger expert, an idea suddenly came to me. Grinning, I got the ball rolling. "I've got an idea, but I need the two of you to pull it off!"

"Jeremy! We need to fall back and regroup!" Wendy called out to her team leader.

"No arguement here!" The team began backing away, regrouping around us. It was time to put my plan in motion.

"Wendy, Takuya, I'll need you two with me. Can the rest of you cover us?"

Jeremy was unflappable. "Just do what you've got to. We'll handle things here."

Jake was on board, too. "Yeah... No problem. Just getting my second wind. Ow..."

Walter was trying, and failing, to be funny. "No, that's gas. I told you not to eat the chili."

"GO!"

"DO IT!" Anya and Cindy were to the point.

"We've got your backs!" Matt, still not much of a charmer, but I was glad to have him today. Cruger and Dr. Manx just nodded.

"It's over, Rangers! You've lost!" Gatekeeper advanced with his doubles.

"Not yet we haven't!" Wendy and I got moving. Takuya was right behind us.

"MOVE!"

Clearly, Gatekeeper wasn't happy. He roared. "STOP THEM! THEY'RE AFTER THE CAULDRON!"

He and his followers let loose with a barrage. I glanced back and saw the rest of the Rangers taking the hits for us. I swore that it wouldn't be for nothing. We reached the cauldron quickly. I quickly started explaining my plan.

"If I remember my demon lore right, any magic can activate one of their artifacts!"

"That's my department. Come on, Kyubi... Let's make some magic!" He flicked his wrist and that crystal appeared again. He thrust the crystal and his hand into the cauldron without any hesitation.

"Since they're using the potential of evil, we need the potential of good... and you're the expert on this reality's heroes."

Wendy nodded. "Oh, this is gonna hurt, isn't it?" She did the same as Takuya, placing her hand inside the pot.

"And then the last ingredient... the knowledge of the demons, to make the artifact work!" I thrust my own hand in, and the effect was immediate. The cauldron began to tremble and glow, and suddenly a giganic pillar of energy shot out into the dimension's sky! The ground began to quake... and then the pain hit us.

"JUST... A LITTLE... MORE..." The agony was almost more than I could stand.

"I WAS RIGHT... IT DEFINITELY HURTS!"

"ONE... MORE... PUSH... NOW!" Takuya was giving it his all. We both followed suit, pouring our strength into it. Then, a gigantic explosion rocked the three of us, and we were blown away from the cauldron. We landed hard, and looked up as light began filling the dimension. I turned to Wendy.

"WENDY! YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!"

She looked at the light, clearly inexperienced with magic. She hesitated for a second, but then became confident. "YOU'RE NEEDED!"

The ground began to shake again, and we all braced ourselves for the worst. Instead, the light coming from the cauldron began to change becoming a kaledoscope of colors... And at the same time, multiple forms began to appear. I simply couldn't believe my eyes.

"NO! THEY'VE CORRUPTED THE CAULDRON!" The Gatekeepers didn't sound happy. Which made me VERY happy.

"Don't be so melodramatic. All we've done is even the playing field. After all, if you're gonna use the potential for evil..."

"We'll use the potential for good! Right, guys?" I couldn't see it, but I'm certain that under her helmet, Wendy was grinning wider than the Cheshire Cat. As the light began to fade, we turned around to face the Gatekeepers. And behind us... More Rangers than I'd ever seen in my life. I couldn't even begin to identify more than a handful. They simply lined up, all in a row, ready for battle. One of the few I recognized, the first Red Ranger, spoke.

"Looks like you guys could use a hand!"

"Definitely!" Jeremy was astonished, that much was clear.

We gathered around the new arrivals, both Wendy and a silver Ranger using a pirate motif saying simultaneously "THIS IS SO COOL!" There was a pause as they regarded each other, than both added "Oh wow. I've GOT to get your autograph!"

Walter groaned. "Oh no... There's TWO of 'em..."

Jake couldn't help needling his wife over something I didn't understand. "We're doomed. Hey... What? No Megaforce?"

Her response just confused me. "You know what? You're right. Saving the world with cards is kinda silly. And the severed head zords creeped me out as a kid." Severed head zords? I seriously didn't want to know.

Cindy seemed confused, too. "Wait, there's actually a team you DON'T like?"

Wendy hung her head in mock shame. "It is my greatest failing as an otaku."

The newly arrived Ranger holding a samurai sword spoke up. "Let's get the job done."

We joined the lineup and stared down the Gatekeepers.

Wendy was estatic. "I can't believe it! We finally get to the best part of a teamup! The comboed rolecall!"

"...You're enjoying this to a seriously disturbing degree."

Walter turned to me. "You get used to it. Or so they say."

"You just can't beat the original! RED RANGER!"

"ZEO RANGER FOUR! GREEN!"

"GREEN RANGER... TURBO UP!"

"Ready to rocket! BLUE SPACE RANGER!"

"Let's make them pay! MAGNA DEFENDER!"

"QUANTUM RANGER!"

"SOARING EAGLE! WILD FORCE YELLOW RANGER!"

"POWER OF WATER! BLUE WIND RANGER!"

"PTERA POWER! DINO THUNDER YELLOW RANGER!"

"EVERCHANGING AS THE WIND! PINK MYSTIC RANGER!"

"KICK INTO OVERDRIVE! PINK RANGER!"

"WITH THE COURAGE OF A WOLF! JUNGLE FURY WOLF RANGER!"

"GET IN GEAR! RANGER SILVER!"

"RED SAMURAI RANGER... READY!"

"SIIIIIIIILLLLVER... RANGER!"

"I fight to right all wrongs! I am SHADOW RANGER!"

"Clawing at evil! SPD KAT RANGER!"

"VALIANT LEADER: CYBER RED!"

"ROMANTIC LANCER: CYBER BLUE!"

"DRIVEN SURVIVOR: CYBER YELLOW!"

"LOYAL FRIEND: CYBER GREEN!"

"GENTLE SPIRIT: CYBER PINK!"

"STOIC AVENGER: TECHNO PURPLE!"

"BRILLIANT SPITFIRE: TECHNO GREY!"

"WARRIOR OF THE WIND: TORNADO!"

"ORANGE RANGER... RESCUE READY!"

"FROM ACROSS TIME AND SPACE, WE UNITE... POWER RANGERS... FOREVER!" For some reason, there was suddenly an explosion behind us. The Gatekeepers backed away. Wendy glanced at me.

"Told ya."

"Okay... You were right. I admit it. Now let's nail these creeps!"

"Of course! That's the SECOND best part!"

Jeremy decided that the time for talk was over. "Time for round two! LET'S GET THE JOB DONE, RANGERS!" He charged forward, the other two Reds right there with him. The rest of us split up, and once more I lost track of things until I began hearing explosions... Except this time, we were winning!

It was impossible to keep up, but at one point, I heard Takuya yelling at Wendy... Clearly, he wasn't happy with his tag team partners. But my new friend was too busy enjoying herself with the two Silver Rangers, both of which seemed about as energetic and nuts as she was. Which was frankly a frightening thought.

"Looks like your sister's enjoying herself."

Matt chuckled. "I might have to pry her off of them later. Of course, they're so alike, it's hard to tell where one of them ends and the next begins."

Wolf Ranger spoke up. "I hate to interrupt, but we're not out of the woods yet!"

The Gatekeeper we were fighting fired at us, and we dove out of the way. Wolf Ranger recovered forst and went on the attack.

"Definite hostility issues! You need to learn how to get along with others... SPIRIT OF THE WOLF!"

Then, he did something amazing... and sent out some kind of weird purple ghost wolf thing right at the Gatekeeper, who was knocked back and slashed by the apparition.

"I think it's time we finished this creep! You with me?" Matt got up, ready to fight.

"Definitely!"

"MELEE MODE!" To my amazement, his grapple gun suddenly transformed, turning into a baton not all that different from the one I used. One of his sister's touches, I assumed. "HANG ON!"

Realizing what he wanted, I took a hold of the baton as Matt began spinning at superspeed. Fighting the onset of vertigo, I let go and rocketed towards the Gatekeeper. "V-LANCER! STRIKE!" Summoning my strongest weapon, I held it out before me just as I rammed into the Gatekeeper. The creep was instantly skewered. He staggered back, and I yanked the V-Lancer out. "This is the part where you go ka-boom."

I stepped to the left, and an arc of purple energy slammed into Gatekeeper. I turned my back on the monster as he blew up spectacularly. "I could get used to this! I should cross realities more often!"

"Please... DON'T encourage my sister..."

I turned and saw that only the reds were still going at it, and all three were now wearing specialized armors... Battlizers, I guess they were called. They attacked as one, and the main Gatekeeper went down in flames.

As we all gathered together, an ominous laughter began filling the dimension. From each crater left by the Gatekeepers, dark energies began swirling up and together. The one calling himself Quantum Ranger summed it up perfectly.

"Well, THAT can't be good."

The energies combined together and solidified, creating a new Gatekeeper, far more formidible looking than the nine we'd just fought.

"I HAVE ASCENDED! NO FORCE IN THE MULTIVERSE COULD STOP ME NOW! TREMBLE BEFORE YOUR EXECUTIONER, RANGERS!"

Fat chance, pal... We all made the decision simultaneously, and let loose attacks at the cauldron. "FIRE!"

The cauldron shattered instantly, and the dimension began to crumble. The cracking sky of the dimension even began sealing up.

"NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

As if to answer the jerk, there was another explosion that engulfed everything. When it faded, we were back in the cavern proper, and now there was a massive hole in the ceiling leading all the way to the surface above. From the trail of dark energies, it was obvious that the Gatekeeper was running for it.

Jeremy was ready to put an end to this fight. "It's not over yet!"

"Yeah, but it looks like we've done all we can." We turned towards the original Red Ranger... and saw he was becoming translucent. In fact, all the summoned Rangers were pulling a fadeout.

"Oh no! They're all going back to their original places in time and space." The disappointment in Wendy's voice was palpable.

Dino Yellow wasn't worried. "We're counting on you, Rangers!"

Zeo Ranger 4 wasn't either. "Do whatever it takes to stop him!"

Ranger Silver summed it up best in her request. "And make sure it's extra loud!"

The summoned Rangers vanished, the power that called them forth expended. We were alone.

"You heard 'em, guys! Let's go!" Jeremy's armor let him fly up through the hole. We al leapt up after him and landed at street level. In front of us, the Gatekeeper stumbled. Clearly, he wasn't accustomed to his powers yet, especially since he'd lost the source.

"It's over, Gatekeeper!" Jeremy then, to my surprise, turned to me. He grabbed my hand."Here. Let's see how it fits."

To my amazement, his armor began to glow... And it suddenly transferred to me! The surge of power felt... indescribable! "WOAH!" It was amazing, from the multi-purpose wing weapon to the sheer amount of data flowing through my helmet. "No way! ORANGE PEGASUS RANGER! AWESOME!"

"CYBER ANNIHILATOR!" Jeremy instantly called for a new weapon.

"Phase one!" Anya and Cindy knelt down.

"Phase two!" Walter and Jake were right behind them.

"Phase three!" Jeremy got behind them, still standing. Matt and Wendy bracing him. Suddenly, the biggest cannon I'd ever seen materialized before them, resting on the shoulders of the first four Cyber Rangers. The cannon began glowing with blazing energy.

"PEGASUS BLASTER!" The wings detatched form my back and folded into a massive cannon in it's own right, before attaching to the device on my arm.

"FIRE!" We both let loose with everything we had, and the attacks slammed into the Gatekeeper. He staggered and raised a hand to the sky.

"Please... forgive me my queen... I have failed you...!"

That was when he fell forward and blew up real nice. Next to me, Wendy snapped her fingers. "CHECKMATE!"

The battle over, we looked to the sky, whole once more, the threat past and the multiverse safe once more.

After demorphing, we began making our way back to the Techno Flyer.

"So, is it always like this for you guys?"

Walter chuckled. "This? Please... For us, this is TUESDAY."

Anya sighed. "But it's only MONDAY."

"Really? Well, THAT'S strange."

Thankfully, at least Dr. Manx could focus on the remaining issue at hand. "Now all we need to do is get Jane back to her own reality."

Takuya was ahead of everyone. "I don't think that'll be an issue. She's already on her way."

They looked at me, and I looked down at myself. I was becoming transparent, just like those summoned Rangers.

"The residual mystical energies of the Cavern are pulling you back to your home reality. It'll be a bit rough, but you'll get there in a few seconds." He almost seemed to care. Almost.

Wendy was horribly upset. "Oh... Don't go, Jane... We hardly had any time to get to know you!" She hugged me, and I couldn't help hugging her back. Even if we never met again, I'd made some good friend today.

"I have to go. My friends and family need me. But this isn't goodbye. Not knowing you, anyway."

Matt responded to that with a weariness that spoke of years of putting up with his sister's antics. "If ever there was an understatement..."

Wendy steped back from me and saluted. Honored, I returned it.

"See ya!" I shouted back.

Wendy's eyes went wide as she remembered something. "WAIT! I gotta know... Why didn't Lightspeed ever arm the civilians with water weapons if they knew the demons couldn't handle them?"

Seriously? She wanted to know THAT?

"Oh! Well, you see, it was because of-"

At that instant, I lost sight of them completely. As it all faded around me, I heard my new friend one last time.

"Oh come ON!"

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

* * *

><p>Suddenly I was back in the Aquabase in a random corridor. Takuya hadn't been kidding. It was rough. Dazed, I staggered forward.<p>

"Okay... That was kinda rough..." I lost my balance, but a female security guard suddenly caught me.

"Are you okay? We've been looking everywhere for you!"

I nodded. "I'll be okay. Thanks."

Recongnizing her now as the same one that had found me in the broom closet, I thanked her again and rushed off to report in.

"No problem. Always glad to help." Mai Pei called out after me.

It didn't take long to get everyone gathered together again, although Dana had yet to arrive. I'd already found out that the quakes had stopped immediately after I'd vanished. Apparently, stopping the threat in the Prime Reality had fixed the situation here as well. It was a tremendous relief.

I stood at the head of the conference table as Dana rushed in and hugged me.

"I was so worried! I thought I'd lost you! We couldn't find any sign of you anywhere!"

"I'm okay, Sis. Really. But it's been one heck of a long day."

Reluctantly, Dana let go and took her seat.

"Jane, what happened? It's like you vanished off the face of the Earth." Carter was confused. I didn't blame him.

"It's a long story, guys. I'll fill you in on everything. But first and most importantly... We've got a serious problem on our hands, one potentially more dangerous than the demons."

I reached into my vest pocket and pulled out the data disk Matt had given me. I handed it to Miss Fairweather.

"I was pulled into another reality through a freak accident, and worked briefly with another team of Rangers. They're facing a dangerous threat, a reality conquering madman called Kalask. They're holding the line, but they warned me that if they fail, it'll be up to us to stop him. All the information they had is on that disk."

Joel wasn't convinced. "So we MIGHT have to face this guy down the line? That's your emergency?"

"No. It's much worse... It all begins with a group calling itself Alphabet Soup..." I filled them in quickly on the details I had. The looks on their faces said it all. They all looked at me, horrified but at the same time determined. Dad got up and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Rangers, it seems we have a new mission. We have to stop the demons... and prevent this disaster at all cost. From this moment on, finding this Alphabet Soup is a top priority! Now let's get to work!"

"YES, SIR!"

We all saluted, and I made a silent promise to my new friends... We'd get the job done, and we'd prevent the apocalypse... No matter what.

* * *

><p>Guest Author's note: For the full version of this teamup, go to<br>s/6050795/36/Power_Rangers_Cyber_V


	21. The Queen's Return

A Shade of Orange

The Queen's Return

By Pink Lightspeed Ranger

Disclaimers: Saban own Power Rangers. I own Jane and Henry.

* * *

><p>Dana, Ryan, and I were in the Aquabase playing chess until Dad call us to come to Rescue Ops. The rest of the Rangers arrived in the Rescue Ops.<p>

"What is going out there?" Carter asked my dad. Henry and I look at each other until Miss Fairweather typing something on the computer.

"The planets are falling into a very rare alignment." Miss Fairweather replied. My dad and us went to Miss Fairweather and saw the planets moving. "It appears that they will be a unique formation of the first time in three thousand years."

"It is this the day that we been waiting for." Ryan said to us. We look at my brother.

"What do you mean?" Henry asked my brother.

"When the planets alignment, they will have a ceremony to bring back the queen." Ryan answered. "And if the ceremony worked, Mariner Bay is history."

"What should we do, dad?" I asked my dad.

"We have to stop that ceremony." My dad replied back. The rangers and I look worried. "Deploy the Rescue Zords. Jane, stay back with Ryan for a minute." And the rest of the rangers left without me. Ryan went to a computer and type in something.

"Dad, take a look at this." Ryan said to dad and we went to Ryan.

"What is it, Ryan?" I asked my brother.

"The explosions are formed some kind of pattern." Ryan replied.

"Jane, go with the other rangers and tell them to stop the explosion." Dad orders me. I nodded and left to the bay.

The Rangers were waiting for me to deploy the Rescue Zords. I came in and tell the rangers.

"Guys, we have to stop the explosions." I asked them. They nodded and we morphed. The Rail Rescue went to the scene.

"Hurry!" Kelsey shouted.

"Before it is too late." Dana added. The Rail Rescue was at the scene.

"Rail Rescue, full stop!" Carter shouted and uses the brake to stop. The Rail Rescue stop and Captain Mitchell call us.

"There are people trapped in the building directly in front of you." My dad said to us in the comm.

"Got it, sir." Carter replied back to my dad. He turned to Chad and Joel. "Chad, Joel, you go and get the fire under control."

"Right!" Chad and Joel salutes and left to Aero Rescue 3 and Aqua Rescue 2.

"Dana, Henry, clear the highway." Carter orders Dana and Henry.

"You got it, Carter." Dana and Henry salutes and left to Med Rescue 5 and Cop Rescue 7.

"Kelsey, Jane, you two are with me." Carter said to me and Kelsey.

"Let's do it!" Kelsey said it with excited. I agreed with Kelsey. And we all left to Pryo Rescue 1. Pryo Rescue use it big ladder to destroy the building for us to get in.

"Hello! Can you hear me?" Carter shouted and asked. Then a piece of wood left down. "We got to find those people. Keep your eye on your sensor, guys."

"You got it!" Kelsey and I replied back with a salute and left with Carter. We keep on find the people and talking at the same time. However we find those people and rescue them. The rest of the rangers finish the job. Then we run to where Ryan is. We found the demons with Ryan. We came in to interrupt the ceremony. We blast the demons away and the demons saw us.

"Impossible!" Loki shouted.

"Uh?" A demon was confused. I knew him. He was Spellbinder who help the demons with their plans.

"Time to put a stop to this!" Carter shouted to the demons.

"Rangers!" Vypra put her sword at us while Ryan smiled.

"This ceremony is over!" Henry said to the demons.

"We are shutting you down!" Chad added.

"Light" Kelsey shouted.

"Speed!" Dana added.

"Rescue!" We shouted together.

"Let's do it!" Carter said to us. We nodded and fought the demons. I fought Vypra with my martial arts. Carter uses his fighting skills to fight the Batlings. Chad and Kelsey left to fight Loki. When Carter shouted my brother's name, a Batling runs to Carter and Ryan kick the Batling to the ground.

"Thank." Ryan said to Carter.

"No problem." Carter replied back. When I wasn't looking, Vypra hit me in the stomach. However Joel, Dana, and Henry block Vypra's attack and I kick Vypra in the stomach. But Vypra disappears in a blue ribbon. Carter and Ryan blast Spellbinder and shut down Spellbinder completely.

"That should do the trick." Carter said and Ryan put his hand on Carter's shoulder.

"Thanks again, buddy." Ryan thanking Carter for helping him.

"Right back at yah!" Carter nodded. However Spellbinder open his eyes and stand up. Ryan and Carter was surprised.

"I don't believe it!" Ryan shouted.

"The ceremony continued!" Spellbinder said to himself. We joined Carter and Ryan.

"Oh no! He is growing!" Dana said to the leader.

"We go to get out of here! Come on" Carter command us to get out of the building. We left to see the big Spellbinder grow. Chad and Kelsey met us outside. "This guy is tougher than we thought."

"Alright, Spellbinder!" Loki shouted to Spellbinder. Vypra joins up with Loki.

"See, big brother." Vypra said to his big brother. "Nothing could stop us."

"Queen Bansheera arises. Take forward in disguise!" Spellbinder chants and a star on his chest glow. We saw fire and grey smoke cover up the sky.

"Time to take up a level." Carter said to us. It almost like a video game. "Ryan, you better call the Solarzord."

"Right!" Ryan replied back. "Max Solarzord, online!"

"Rescue Zords, mobilize!" Carter said. We immediately formed Lightspeed Megazord and the Max Solarzord landed next to us.

"Your pity swords are no match for me!" Spellbinder shouted to us as we circle round.

"We will see about that!" Carter said to Spellbinder.

"Let's do it guys!" Ryan added and the two Megazords fight. Spellbinder blasts us and we struggled. Ryan's Zord leaps and kicks but it has no effect. Ryan's Megazord was down and he struggled. We protect Ryan's Zord.

"Lightspeed Megazord Saber and Shield!" Carter command. The sword came from the belt and the blades of Copter Rescue 6 spun right off, becoming a circular shield in midair that the Megazord caught with its left arm.

Raising the Megazord Saber, the Rangers drew it down and around in a full, fiery circle. Then, taking a step forward, we slashed the demon across the chest. But Spellbinder took no hit and blasts us right off. We all struggled. Spellbinder slashed us.

"Lightspeed Solarzord, ignite! 356!" Carter push the buttons and we jump on the Max Solarzord. We let go and transform into the Lightspeed Solarzord. The Lightning and blue clouds came in as I knew that Queen Bansheera is coming.

"Queen Bansheera have returned." Queen Bansheera said in a serious voice.

"She is here." Vypra was excited that their mother has return in ground. "She is finally here!"

"Welcome back mother! What is your first order of business?" Loki asked his mother.

"Destroy the city myself." Queen Bansheera answered and Spellbinder attack us.

"Blasters fire!" I shouted. We blasted the demon and dodged it. We hit Spellbinder and Spellbinder hit us back. We struggled.

"It will take a lot more than to defeat the Power Rangers!" Kelsey said to Spellbinder.

"You really think you can stop me from restoring my palace?" Queen Bansheera asked us and we turned to Queen Bansheera. "My tide wave wash your city away." We saw the tide waves coming in and Queen Bansheera laughs.

"Guys, I got it I will stop the energy flows in the temple. Jane, are you with me?" Ryan asked me. I nodded at my brother. Ryan and I left the Zord. We were at the temple and the energy was so big that we covered our eyes. We came in closer. "This got to work. Let's smash it."

"Right, Ryan." I said to my brother. We rise up our weapons, The V-lancer and the Titanium Axe, and we smash the energy. Then there were an explosion and we both went flying backwards. We demorphed and was under the rubble.

"This is unimaginable." Loki said to himself as he were worried.

"I knew I shouldn't trust them before." Olympus said to himself and he was angry. His sister was next to him.

"Olympus…" Loki startled saying something until Lamiara interrupt him.

"You fools. The planets of over alignment. You waste it our mother's chance of get her body back." Lamiara shouted to the two demons.

"It wasn't our fault. The range…" Vypra argue back but Olympus interrupt her.

"Silent! You two alone are not to blame." Olympus shouted to Loki and Vypra.

"Enough! If you ever speak to us that way again, I will teach you two a lesson that you two never forget." Loki said to his younger siblings and point his staff at Olympus "Do you understand?"

"I understand, brother." Olympus said and Lamiara kick Loki in the stomach. Loki was sent right back to the ground. "We are though with you two!"

"Thanks to your incombustible, we will never our mother again." Lamiara added.

"Olympus, Lamiara, Loki, Vypra." Queen Bansheera said to her children. They turn around.

"Mother?" All demons asked their mother. Their mother came in with a half full form.

"Mother, it is really you?" Olympus asked his mother.

"Yes, Olympus. It is your mother." Queen Bansheera replied back.

"Mother!" Lamiara shouted. Olympus and Lamiara runs to their mother. "We are so happy to see you survived. We can hardly believe it."

"But what happened to your rest of your body?" Olympus asked their mother.

"By ruined the ceremony, the rangers caused this." Queen Bansheera replied back to his son.

"They will pay for this dearly, I promised" Lamiara said to his mother. "They will pay" And the demons disappears. Ryan got up from the rubble and I was injury by my arm. Ryan help me get up and we both stand up. Then we heard Carter and the others come in.

"Ryan! Jane!" Carter shouted our names.

"Over here!" Ryan shouted back with his right hand. The rangers turned over our directions.

"Ryan, Jane." Dana said our names. I started going over to the rangers but I almost fall down. Carter and Joel catch me. "Are you two okay?"

"We will be fine, Dana." Jane replied back.

"Let's get back to the base." Henry suggested to us. We nodded and left the temple.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at Aquabase<strong>

We were in the conference room with Ryan speaking to us about Queen Bansheera.

"She may not have her full body back. But Queen Bansheera's powers will only get stronger." Ryan said to us. "And one day, no matter what you do, no matter what weapons you build, she will destroy us to rebuild her palace."

"You are saying she's indestructible" Miss Fairweather asked Ryan with a raise eyebrow.

"There's must be some way to stop her." Carter asked us.

"Yes. The demons are freed now. But there was a time they were all capture, so we know it is possible." Ryan replied back. Then he stopped. Why did he stop? "I am going to leave." Leave? Why leave, Ryan? We need you. "I have to find out how to capture them again."

"We will go with you." Kelsey said to Ryan. "Please stay here."

"No, Mariner Bay need you, Kel." Ryan said to Kelsey as he put his hand on her shoulder. Dad stand and go to Ryan.

"I am proud of you, son." Dad said to Ryan.

"Be careful." Carter added. Dad shakes Ryan's hand and Ryan come to us. We both stand up and hug us.

"Don't worry, sisters. I will be back." Ryan promise to us and we nodded. Then he left. Dana was crying and Henry hugs her. After all the explaining and the goodbyes, I went to the girls' headquarters.

* * *

><p><strong>At the girls' headquarter<strong>

I went to my bed and was crying that Ryan left us to defeat Queen Bansheera and the demons. But I knew that Ryan will have some way to stop this. I heard a knock on the door and it was Carter.

"Come in." Then I saw the leader. "Carter…"

"You okay, Jane?" Carter asked me. I nodded slowly. Then I realized that Carter is not with my sister. "What is it, Jane?"

"I thought you are with Dana." I answered to Carter. Carter look at me in confused. "I saw you and Dana were kissing in the hallway."

"So you were peaking at us." Carter was talking so serious.

"No, I saw you when I was about to the park." I replied to Carter. Carter look at me. "It is the truth. You can ask Dana."

"I did and she say that you aren't lying." Carter said to me and smile at me. Then Dana and Henry came in holding hands? "Dana, Henry, what are you doing here?"

"I thought you and Jane kissed each other." Dana said to Carter.

"Uh?" Carter and I say at the same time.

"Don't 'uh' me!" Dana shouted to us. "I kiss Henry on the lips and he didn't cared about it. I suggest you two do the same."

"Maybe next time, Dana." I said to my sister.

"Okay, Jane." Dana nodded to me. She and Henry left the girls' Headquarter. Carter and I both laugh when they left. Then Carter kiss me on the lips.

"Carter, you…" I try to say something but I couldn't.

"I kiss you, Jane." Carter snaps out my shell. I kiss him back. "You like me?" I nodded in replied. We both left my room and saw Dana and Henry in the doorway.

"Wait, Dana. We can explain this." Carter said to my sister.

"Don't' worry about a thing, Jane and Carter." Dana said to us. "I won't say a thing to dad."

"Thanks, Dana." I smiled to Dana which she smile back. "Did you really kiss Henry?" She nodded and kiss Henry on the lips. "I won't say a thing to dad too." But Dad came in and saw us. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Your school call in." Dad replied back to me. "They want you and Henry going back to school."

"What did you say back, Dad?" Dana asked now. Dana knew we could be in trouble, but call me and Henry?

"I told them you two have a duty as a Power Ranger." Dad replied back. "So you won't be going to school. But what are you four doing in the hallway?"

"Um..." Dana couldn't say anything. "We were getting Jane out of our room and meeting up with the other rangers."

"What else were you doing?" Dad asked us the second question as he fold his arms. I couldn't tell dad that I like Carter because he would freak out about it. "You were kissing Carter, were you Jane? And Dana, you were kissed Henry."

"How did you know about, Captain?" Carter asked my dad. He was holding my hands tight and I blushed.

"I have to keep an eye on my daughters, you know." My dad replied to Carter. Then he look at Carter and Henry for some reason. "Please take care of my daughters."

"We will, Captain." Henry saluted at my dad and Carter nodded at him. Then he left the hallway. "So much for the secret with Captain Mitchell."

"Dad know so much about us." Dana said to us. "We should go now."

"Wait where are we going?" I asked my sister. Henry grabbed Dana by the hands and left.

"To the others!" Henry shouted to me. Carter grab my hand and we both left to the others.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p>

A/N 1: Sorry for the long wait. I couldn't find episodes on Youtube. But I found just yesterday. I change the name Austin to Henry. But he is still Carter's younger brother.

A/N 2: Carter has a new girlfriend, Jane. Dana has a new boyfriend, Henry. This is take place after school starts for the two younger Rangers. They are both juniors in High School.

A/N 3: Captain Mitchell knew that Dana and Jane have boyfriends, but what will happened next?


End file.
